DENTAL OFFICER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26640, 10 December 1947, Page 6

DENTAL OFFICER

GROWTH OF SERVICE MR J. S. NICOLSON TO RETIRE At the end of this year Mr J. S. Nicolson will retire from the position of principal dental officer of the Otago and Southland districts. Mr Nicolson was born at Matakanui and educated at the local school and later at the Otago Boys’ High School. Whilst there he excelled in sport and was the best all-round athlete, receiving many trophies and medals. After leaving school he commenced his dental career in Dunedin, and later went to England to further his studies. When he returned from England he practised in Dunedin until the outbreak of the 1914-18 war, when he enlisted. He received his commission and later, while serving in France, was promoted to the rank of captain. It was in France that he was badly wounded and had to be invalided home, where he spent several months in hospital. Mr Nicolson joined the School Dental Service when it was established in 1920 and was school dental officer in Dunedin until 1931. During this

period he was in charge of the dental clinic which was situated in the Hospital grounds in King street. In January, 1932, he was appointed district dental superintendent for the Otago and Southland districts, and divided his time between field work and his duties in connection with the dental clinic in King street. In 1940, with the continued growth of the school dental service it became necessary for him to devote his full time to administrative duties, and he has continued in charge of the Otago and Southland dental districts up to the present time as principal dental officer. When Mr Nicolson was appointed school dental officer in Dunedin in 1920, he was the only dental officer in the whole of Otago and Southland. He has seen the service grow from a stage when he was the sole representative to the present time, when there are 69 treatment centres and a staff of over 50 school dental nurses under his control. . Mr Nicolson has maintained a keen interest in sport. Before the war of 1914-18 he played senior tennis for the Kaituna Club and senior football for the Pirates Club. Later he turned his attention to bowls, in which he has always been prominent. He was run-ner-up in 1934 in the New Zealand Singles Bowling Championship.