Percy Raymond Begg (1898 - 1983)

Born 13 Oct 1898 in Coolgardie, Western Australia, Australia

Died 18 Jan 1983 at age 84 in Glen Osmond, South Australia, Australia

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Biography

Percival Raymond Begg AO was a professor at the University of Adelaide School of Dentistry and a world renowned orthodontist. He was famous for developing the "Begg technique". Permanent displays dedicated to his Begg technique can be found in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, the Library of the American Dental Association in Chicago, and the PR Begg Museum at the University of Adelaide.

From his Australian Dictionary of Biography profile we see:

He was born on 13 October 1898 supposedly in a tent on the Coolgardie gold fields in Western Australia, and registered as Raymond Percy. He was the eldest of three children of English-born parents Percy William Begg, accountant, and his wife Fannie Elizabeth, née Jacob. In 1900 the family moved to Adelaide.

He spent a year as a jackeroo before enrolling in dentistry at the University of Melbourne (B.D.Sc., 1924). In 1924-25 he trained at the (E. H.) Angle College of Orthodontia, Pasadena, California, United States of America. Returning to Adelaide, he entered into practice as an orthodontist and lectured part time (1926-63) at the University of Adelaide.

Doctor Percy Raymond Begg was a founding member (1927) of the Australian Society of Orthodontists and honorary member of the Australian Dental Association, South Australian branch. Begg was also a fellow of the International College of Dentists and of the (Royal) Australian College of Dental Surgeons. In 1977 the American Board of Orthodontics presented him with the Albert H. Ketcham memorial award. The Australian Society of Orthodontists’ Foundation for Research and Education established the P. Raymond Begg award in 1978. Begg societies of orthodontics were formed in Europe, North America, Japan and the Philippines.

On 26 April 1928 at St Andrew’s Church of England, Walkerville, he had married Evelyn Ellen Hamilton. Dr. Begg retired in 1980 and the next year was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia. He passed away on the 18th of January 1983 at Glen Osmond, survived by his wife, and their son and two daughters. He was cremated and his ashes were interred at the Centennial Park Cemetery in Pasadena, South Australia.

Sources

• J. D. Jenner and M. R. Sims, Begg, Percy Raymond (1898–1983), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/begg-percy-raymond-12190/text21853, published first in hardcopy 2007, accessed online 18 August 2019.

• Raymond Begg from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Begg first viewed online on the 18th of August, 2019.

• Percy Raymond Begg AO from the SA History Hub at: http://sahistoryhub.com.au/people/percy-raymond-begg-ao first viewed online on the 18th of August, 2019.

• Begg, Percy Raymond (1898-1983) on TROVE at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/people/1469592?q=%22Percy+Raymond+Begg%22&c=people first viewed online on the 18th of August, 2019.

• ADELAIDE HOSPITAL: Medical Appointments from the News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954) of Friday 5 July 1929, Page 7. at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/129176461? first viewed online on the 18th of August, 2019.

• VARSITY AWARDS TOMORROW: Annual Commemoration DEGREE AND DIPLOMA WINNERS from The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954) of Tuesday 13 December 1932, Page 17. at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/35185075? first viewed online on the 18th of August, 2019.

• Government Gazette Notices : QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY 1981 HONOURS from the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Special (National : 1977 - 2012) of Saturday 13 June 1981 [Issue No.S114] Page 1. at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/240701233? first viewed online on the 18th of August, 2019.

• Sampson, Wayne (Professor) & Ellis, David, 2007, HIGHEST INTERNATIONAL HONOUR FOR ORTHODONTICS PIONEER from the University of Adelaide NEWS and EVENTS website at: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/news/news19321.html first viewed online on the 18th of August, 2019.

• Percy Raymond Begg from the Pierre Fauchard Academy online at: https://www.fauchard.org/publications/25-percy-raymond-begg first viewed online on the 18th of August, 2019.

• Burke, Chris, 2015, A century of influence: Part 1. Orthodontic pioneers, from the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 147, Issue 5, S155 - S160. DOI: [1] first viewed online on the 18th of August, 2019.

• Safirstein, Dick, 2015, P. Raymond Begg, letter to the editor of the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 148, Issue 2, Page 206. DOI: [2] first viewed online on the 18th of August, 2019.

• Begg, Percy Raymond (1898-1983) on TROVE at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/people/1469592?sortby=dateAsc&q=%22Percy+Raymond+Begg%22&c=people first viewed online on the 18th of August, 2019.

• J150 PLAQUE, PERCY RAYMOND BEGG from the South Australian Government's Adelaide Things at: http://adelaidia.sa.gov.au/things/j150-plaque-percy-raymond-begg first viewed online on the 18th of August, 2019.

• On the Find a Grave website at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/152985941/percy_raymond-begg first viewed online on the 18th of August, 2019.

• Percy Raymond Begg from the Centennial Park website at: https://www.centennialpark.org/memorial-search/percy-raymond-begg-153939/ first viewed online on the 18th of August, 2019.