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HIGH POINT DENTAL SOCIETY HONORS DR. L.P. MEGGINSON

HIGH POINT - The late Dr. Linzy Price Megginson, a leading advocate for establishing the dental hygiene program at Guilford Technical Institute in the mid-1960s, has been honored by High Point Dental Society which has started a scholarship fund in his name.
The announcement of the $16,950 being donated by the dental society to GTCC for the Dr. L.P. Megginson Jr. Dental Hygiene Program Endowed Scholarship was  made at a dental society meeting at Jan. 10 in High Point.

Megginson, who passed away Jan 8, 2011, at age 87, was one of the first 34 graduates of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry in 1954. He gained  his undergraduate degree was from Wake Forest University after spending two years in the U.S. Air Force. He graduated from Shelby High School in 1943.

Megginson taught school briefly and assisted two other dentists in their practices for a while before opening his dental practice in High Point in 1955. "He never retired; he went to the office the week before he passed away," said his wife of 62 years, the former Mary Grace Queen.

Megginson, described as a loner and a shy person, was an unlikely advocate for a "cause," said his daughter Mary Lin Brewer of Dunedin, FL.  "Dad was not typically one to lead community efforts. He was not particularly articulate and did not really seek the spotlight," she said. "But if the issue were about dentistry or his family, well then he would jump in if he really believed in the cause. He would not give up; he was relentless," she added.

Starting a dental hygienist program in the area was a cause that caught his attention and he became devoted to the cause, said his wife, who worked as his office manager for 25 years.

"He would not give up on getting the program at GTCC," said Dr. Robert Daniel of Reidsville, a dental school classmate. "We were really lacking hygienists," Daniel said.  Megginson was one of several dentists who joined GTCC president Dr. Herbert Marco in the fight to establish the program. Opposition was strong, especially from The Dental School at Chapel Hill, Daniel said.

"With Dr. Marco's support, Dad recruited help from several locals dentists including Dr. Charlie Horton and Dr. Bill Hinson (both deceased) and Dr. Stuart Fountain and Dr. Ed Sykes," Brewer said.

"They didn't have any space, equipment or teachers and they had to start training students immediately (because they were receiving a federal grant). But they did it, and Dad shepherded it through all of those early growing pains," she said.
The program became a model for other community colleges, Brewer said.

Megginson served as chair of the Dental Assisting Committee at the school.
Megginson's work was also his play. "He loved dentistry," said Daniel. "He was a very unusual person, who was friendly to everybody and very smart -- a good student but dentistry was his life. He was the last one in our class who was still practicing dentistry."

"He was generous, and never became a rich dentist," said Mary Grace Megginson. "He was still charging the same things he charged 25 years earlier," she said.  He worked 24/7 or was always available, even on weekends," she said.
"He kept his office open right up until the end. As long as the phone rang, he was there to help someone. After a while, the phone didn't ring much anymore," she said.
Megginson made and repaired dentures as well as did regular dental work. "He became known for making dentures," said his wife. He didn't have any hobbies; work was his avocation and vocation, she said.

For many years, "he worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week and had six rooms open all day long,"  Mary Lin Brewer said.
All five of their children, which also includes Penny Beaver of Lewisville (a GTCC dental hygienist graduate), Margaret Fontana of Bluefield, WVA, Michael Megginson of Boyds, MD; and Susan Latapie of New York City, spent their time as youngsters doing chores at the dental practice.

"L.P. didn't care about vacations, and many times I took the children to the beach," said Mary Grace Megginson. "He stressed education to them but not by preaching to them," she said.
The children remember him telling stories about himself - making his experiences things (or examples) for them to remember. His 10 grandchildren also heard the stories, and relished them, according to granddaughter Madison Linzy Brewer of Wilmington.

"Pampaw used to tutor me when I was learning algebra," Madison said. "He struggled in school until he took an algebra course where he met a teacher who changed the rest of his life and his view of himself as a student. Until that class, he always sat in the back of of every class and thought he was 'stupid.'

"The teacher chewed tobacco in class, and had an old farmer's face. The only window he could spit his tobacco out of was at the back of the class - where Pampaw sat. He noticed Pampaw," she said. The teacher encouraged him to become involved in the class, and Megginson moved to a front row seat.
"He listened, participated and made an effort to do well. Soon the football players wanted to sit beside him in class," she said. "One football player said, 'Everyone is talking about you. You're the smartest one in the class. We want to copy your work.'"

"I loved all of Pampaw's stories and every time he told them, he added more detail," Madison said.
His teaching moments - and his love for providing educational opportunities were unique.
For information about the Megginson Scholarships, contact Jan Keimig at jakeimig@gtcc.edu or at 334-4822, Ext. 50301.

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Contact: ROBurchette@gtcc.edu (Released 1/12/12)