Dentistry pioneers’ imprint on education continues to impact the city
The apple didn’t fall far from the tree for Dr. Quannah McCall and his daughter, Dr. Connie McCall.
And apples would be an acceptable treat by the dentist duo’s standards.
Quannah was regarded as a “distinguished pioneer in Nevada” thanks to his dentistry practice. He began his practice in Pioche, where his father also was a dentist.
In 1936, Gov. Richard Kirman Sr. selected Quannah as the Nevada State Dentist for his efforts touring Nevada schools in a dental truck and house trailer offering kids dental care, according to the Clark County School District. In tow was his young daughter, Connie.
Accolades followed the pair, and a North Las Vegas school bears their honor. Quannah is namesake of Quannah McCall Elementary School, 800 E. Carey Ave., and its library is named for Connie.
Quannah was born Feb. 15, 1902, in Lawton, Okla. His father, Dr. Tecumseh D. Sherman McCall, was a dentist and owned land next to a Native American chief name Quannah Parker. The friends made a deal that if Tecumseh named his newborn son Quannah, the chief would give the boy a pony.
Parker honored the agreement when Quannah was old enough for the responsibility.
A strong work ethic and sense of leadership stayed with the young man, according to school district files.
He graduated as valedictorian of Kansas City Western Dental College in 1925. He was president of Xi Psi Phi Dental Fraternity. He married Grace Devlin McCall and joined Tecumseh in his dental practice in Pioche. Connie Marlene McCall was born around the time.
In 1940, the family moved to Las Vegas, and Quannah began a general practice.
He rose to be president of nearly any organization he joined – the Kiwanis Club of Las Vegas, the Clark County Dental Association, the Nevada Dental Society, the Shrine Club, now Shriners of Las Vegas, and the Clark County School District Board of Education.
His time on the board helped build three high schools, 10 elementary and middle schools, an auditorium, vocational building and an administration building, according to district records.
Quannah died in 1958.
At his funeral, his fellow Shriners and Masons devoted a 21-gun salute to him. They followed the tradition every year on his death anniversary date for 10 years, the district said.
Connie blazed her own trail in Las Vegas dentistry.
She graduated at the top of her class, where she was one of few women among about 400 men in dentistry studies, according to district records.
She started a therapeutic dental office for troubled girls in Caliente. She wrote dentistry training books used in hospitals.
She designated and implemented the first holistic research training program in Nevada using bioelectric, color and sound therapy in dentistry, according to district records. She had a practice on Rancho Drive for many years. Connie also had an advertising and public relations firm with her husband and founded the Connie McCall Foundation for Health Research and Education.
She appeared in the 1989 edition of “Distinguished Women in Southern Nevada.”
Contact Centennial and North Las Vegas View reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@viewnews.com or 477-3839.
Naming Las VegasThe history behind the naming of various streets, parks, schools, public facilities and other landmarks in the Las Vegas Valley will continue to be explored in a series of feature stories appearing in View editions published on the first Tuesday of every month.
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