Roll Call Tribute

Obituary sent by family

Dr. Donald Hugh Enlow, M.S., PhD, 87 of Milton, Wisconsin, passed away July 5th, 2014 at Mercy Hospital in Janesville, WI.  He was born January 22, 1927 in Mosquero, New Mexico to Martie and Donald C. Enlow.  He married Martha McKnight on September 3, 1945.

Dr. Enlow had a very long and distinguished career which started after serving in the Coast Guard in World War II.  After obtaining his BS in 1949, he became an instructor of biology at the University of Houston and received his master’s degree in 1951, and began doing extensive fossil field prospecting all over West Texas.  It was during one particular expedition when he found a bone fragment that gave him the idea to make ground sections of fossil bone. 

“Well, back at the lab I did just that. And what I saw just absolutely FLOORED me. I tell you I was just ASTOUNDED. I remember that my hands were shaking as I stared at that first section for long minutes, almost disbelieving…I could not help but think that what I was seeing was just impossible. After all, I was looking at bone tissue over 200 million years old...Yet I had to believe my eyes. I was seeing something that no one had ever seen. Yes, profoundly exciting. I think it must have been something like an explorer's feeling when discovering something like a new continent. Big!...I had just been on a marvelous lark having a young man's great time looking for dinosaurs. I did not realize that I had entered, unexpectedly, a long research road which I did not realize could end up with a working understanding of how the vertebrate face, especially the complex human craniofacial assembly, grows and develops.”

Dr. Enlow knew he needed to further his academic career to continue this work.  He received his Ph.D. in anatomy from Texas A & M University in 1955 and became an assistant professor of biology at West Texas State University.  He then served with the Anatomy Department of the University of Michigan School of Medicine for 15 years and was Director of the Physical Growth Program at the Center for Human Growth and Development for six of those years.  It was during this time that he continued his work finding out the patterns of bone growth, which lead to his work in craniofacial growth.  He moved from Michigan to be the Chairman of Anatomy at West Virginia University School of Medicine in 1972.  In 1977, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he was the Thomas Hill Distinguished Professor and Chairman of Orthodontics at Case Western Reserve University from 1977 to 1989. While at Case Western, he also served as acting Dean of the School of Dentistry for three years.

Dr. Enlow received many awards and honors throughout his career.  He lectured in 32 countries, wrote several books, including Essentials of Facial Growth, which is still being published today.  He contributed chapters to 30 books and has written numerous articles in professional journals.

Upon retirement, Dr. Enlow became Professor Emeritus in the Department of Orthodontics at Case Western Reserve University and continued as an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina. He moved to Milton, Wisconsin to be closer to family, but never stopped expressing his excitement and passion to students who also studied facial growth and development.

In 2006, Dr. Enlow was honored for his lifelong contributions when New York University’s College of Dentistry held the Donald H. Enlow International Research Symposium in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the first paper he published.  22 professionals presented how Dr. Enlow’s works impacted their profession.  New York University College of Dentistry now holds Dr. Enlow’s vast collection of some 25,000 slides that span images of
bone tissue from every vertebrate group from fish to mammal and fossil vertebrates from the earliest geological periods through the ages to the present.

 “Dr. Donald Enlow is truly a living treasure.  His renowned work:  Essentials of Facial Growth set the benchmark and continues to be the benchmark on comprehensive treatment.  Dr. Enlow’s work changed an amazing array of disciplines including: anthropology, orthopedics, orthodontics, paleontology, and hard tissue biology…He has dedicated his life to bringing his scholarly and practical knowledge to effective use by dentists, orthodontists, pediatric dentists, neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons and all disciplines of study involved in human growth…we are standing on the shoulders of a great man….Thank you Dr. Enlow.” –
Mid-America Orthopedic/Orthodontic Institute

Although much of his time was consumed by his career, Dr. Enlow was also an avid golfer, staunch Fox News watcher, knife and gun collector, and enjoyed going to the shooting range. 

He was preceded in death by his parents and his grandson, Steven R. Hack.

Survivors include his wife, Martha Enlow; daughter, Sharon (Roger) Hack; granddaughters, Lisa (Mark) Tate, Janna (Andy Heidt) Hack; great-grandchildren, Logan Tate, Michael Tate, Bryce Tate and Kaia Heidt.

A private memorial service will held on July 16th officiated by Pastor Tom Countryman. 

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate contributions toward the Donald H. Enlow Scholarship Fund at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine - c/o Department of Development/Alumni Relations Office, 2124 Cornell Rd., Cleveland, OH 44106.

To the many people he worked with and mentored, Dr. Enlow’s family would like to thank you for giving him many years of joy in a field he had so much passion for.