NASHVILLE, TN — Dr. William Blaine Butler, DDS, MD, retired, served as interim dean at Meharry Medical School in 2010. He was Professor Emeritus in the Department of Restorative Dentistry, and senior advisor to former Meharry Medical College President and CEO Wayne J. Riley, M.D., MPH, MBA, MACP.
Dr. Butler had been with Meharry for 33 years. During this time, he served as chair of the Department of Prosthodontics 16 years and associate dean for Academic Affairs one year before his appointment as dean.
Notable accomplishments in Dr. Butler’s time as dean included upgrades to the dental equipment in all dental schools, implementation of the 1st White Coat ceremony for junior dental students at Meharry, and establishment of a dental implantology program and electronic dental records.
One of the greatest accomplishments under Dr. Butler’s 33-year tenure at Meharry was positioning the School of Dentistry for further growth and development in future years for accreditation site visits by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation that resulted in a “sterling” review for the School of Dentistry.
Dr. Butler was known for recruiting numerous, highly qualified faculty and by improving the caliber of matriculating students,and fostering significant enhancements that have helped to improved the quality of education at Meharry.
