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d e n t a l m a t e r i a l s 2 3 ( 2 0 0 7 ) 393–394

avai lab le at www.sc iencedi rec t .com

journa l homepage: www. int l .e lsev ierhea l th .com/ journa ls /dema

bituary

r Richard G. Earnshaw (1924–2006)

Dr. Dick Earnshaw, who died last year, was a notedresearcher in dental materials, both in his native Australiaand in the United Kingdom. As a recent school leaver heenlisted in the Australian army and served in Borneo duringWorld War II. On discharge from the Army he studied Dentistryat the University of Queensland, graduating in 1950. He wasappointed as a Lecturer in Dentistry at the University follow-ing graduation and also graduated Master of Dental Science in1952.

Funded by a Scholarship from his homeland, Dickembarked on post-graduate work in the Department of Met-allurgy, University of Manchester (1952–1954) and remainedat that university as a Lecturer in Prosthetic Dentistry overthe period 1955–1961, interrupted by a period (1957–1958) asvisiting Associate Professor in Dental Materials, Northwest-

rn University, Chicago. In 1957 Dick had qualified as Doctorf Philosophy, University of Manchester.

The photograph, taken in 1955 in the Dental Materials lab-ratory, University of Manchester, pictures three keen young

researchers: Dick Earnshaw (L), Ed Wain (centre) and DennisSmith (R). The research of these three musketeers was groundbreaking: Dick ’s work on investments and casting of cobaltchromium alloys, Ed’s original approach to stress analysis inprostheses and Dennis’ work on acrylics turned out to be sem-inal. Dick Earnshaw was particularly influential in raising thestandard of Prosthodontics research.

Returning to Australia, Dick was appointed Senior Lecturerin Prosthetic Dentistry, University of Sydney (1961–1964) andsubsequently Reader in Prosthetic Dentistry from 1964 untilhis retirement in 1988. In the period up to his retirement heundertook a number of appointments at Manchester, North-western, Queensland, Otago and Malaysian Universities. Heparticipated enthusiastically in dental standards work andcontributed his knowledge and wisdom to numerous profes-

sional and educational activities.

Dick is remembered by his friends and colleagues asa meticulous and doggedly enquiring researcher, havingprofound insights into dental investments, with original

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publications at least up to1997. In his youth he raced motor-bikes and loved to drive fast! He was a lover of red wine and

good food, art, classical music and particularly opera. He hada superb command of English – in disagreement with manyeditors, especially in the USA – and a terse and mischievoussense of humor.

3 ( 2 0 0 7 ) 393–394

David WattsUniversity of Manchester, United Kingdom

E-mail address: david.watts@manchester.ac.uk0109-5641/$ – see front matter

doi:10.1016/j.dental.2007.01.003