Two generations, one dental chair
Photos courtesy of the Weber family and Jack Weber Here! A Memoir.
For Jack Weber, DDS (DEN ’49), a moment of serendipity at the height of World War II charted his path to a 40-year career in dentistry. As a pre-med student in the U.S. Navy, he was presented with a single, unexpected offer: “There are no openings in medical school… but there is one opening in dental school if you want to take it.”
This wartime twist of fate—a single open seat at the School of Dentistry of Western Reserve University—set him on an unexpected path. Weber took the spot and soon headed to Cleveland, where he was reunited with “a young lady I was very much in love with,” his future wife of 57 years, Betty.
Now, at 101, Weber looks back with gratitude, "I consider myself a very lucky man," he said. "All the chips fell into place."
A legacy of service
After graduating in 1949, Weber served in the Navy at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and in the Mediterranean,
providing dental care for sailors.
Returning to civilian life, Weber found that his diploma became his greatest asset. When he sought a $5,000 loan to open his first office in Hicksville, Long Island, with no collateral, he recalls: "I took my diploma and put it on the banker's desk. and said, ‘Sir, this is a diploma. Did you ever hear of a dentist who went bankrupt?"
Weber received the loan, outfitted the office and started practice with one dental chair, quickly expanding to serve the growing community for 40 years.
“From my first day, a patient walked in,” Weber said, “That patient led to another, then their children, making it a family practice. Dentistry is very personal; if a patient isn’t happy, they won’t stay.”
Jack’s dedication reached beyond his dental office, marking 72 years with Lions Clubs International. Early advice from Melvin Jones, founder of Lions Clubs, stuck with him: “You can't get anywhere in life until you start doing things for other people.”
The definition of a dentist
Decades later, Weber’s son Paul Weber, DDS (DEN '82) charted his own path to dentistry. It wasn’t a result of family traditions, but from watching his father "be a dentist," raise five children and serve his community. When a pivotal opening in the accelerated program at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine was offered to Paul, like his father, he seized the opportunity.
Paul Weber says his path wasn’t about following family expectations, but about his father’s example. “My dad did not push me. In fact, sometimes he tried to dissuade me from dentistry,” he said.
"I was trained to be a dentist," Paul Weber said. "I was trained to be a caring healthcare individual. I learned the skills of dentistry, but I learned how to be a dentist by watching my father."
The family legacy continued in the office. When Paul joined his father’s practice as an associate, it gave him a rare opportunity to learn. “Make the mistakes and do it over again. Learn from the mistakes,” his father told him. It was this guidance, combined with CWRU training, that helped him develop his 'whole-patient' philosophy.
“You’re going to treat an entire patient—from start to finish,” Paul Weber said. He recalls Dean Thomas De Marco’s graduation advice: “I can train a monkey to do dentistry. I cannot train a monkey to be a dentist. Don’t be a monkey. Be a dentist.”
Today, Paul Weber has a private practice in Cooperstown, New York, where he completes his own dental hygiene procedures and spends 90 minutes with every new patient to ensure a "co-diagnosis."
Most recently, his CWRU connection came full circle. After attending Homecoming and Reunion
weekend this past fall, he felt a renewed calling to give back. “At this point in my life, I have a lot to offer the students and the profession,” Paul said. “Something clicked in me. It’s very important to be engaged, and I’m happy to be doing that now.”
While the tools have evolved from hand-sharpened needles to digital diagnostics, the Webers’ careers have been defined by compassionate care. Jack’s 40-year career was defined by families who stayed with him for three generations, and today, Paul carries that same commitment to relationship-based care into his own practice.
To learn more about Dr. Jack Weber’s life:
Read the Memoir: Jack recently self-published his 350-page memoir, “Jack Weber, Here!”, a comprehensive look back at his century of service and family.
Watch the Documentary: His journey is also the subject of a feature documentary, Lessons from 100: Reflections in My Centennial Year, directed by his grandson Matthew Floyd. Learn more at lessonsfrom100.com.
