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Adapted from "RADM Robert Waite Elliott, Jr., Dental Corps, United States Navy, Deceased" [biography, dated 26 October 1973] in Modern Biographical Files collection, Navy Department Library.

Topic
Document Type
  • Biography
Wars & Conflicts
  • Korean Conflict 1950-1954
  • World War II 1939-1945
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Location of Archival Materials
  • NHHC-Library

Robert Waite Elliott Jr.

4 December 1921-1 February 2000

PDF Version [1.7MB]

Robert Waite Elliott, Jr., was born in Ashtabula, Ohio, on December 4, 1921, son of Dr. Robert W. Elliott and Mrs. (Dorothy G. Calman) Elliott, both now deceased. He attended Ohio State University at Columbus, from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical Engineering in June 1943. Employed by the Carnegie Illinois Steel Corporation, he was an Open Hearth Observer for three months, then took a position with Republic Steel as Bar Mill Observer.

On October 4, 1944 he enlisted in the US Naval Reserve and as a recruit had training at the Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois, until December 1944. Transferred to the Naval Reserve Midshipmen’s School at Columbia University, New York, New York, as a Midshipman, he had further training there and on April 25, 1945 was commissioned Ensign in the US Naval Reserve. Transferred to the Hospital Corps of the Naval Reserve in November 1949, he subsequently advanced in rank to that of Rear Admiral, to fate from October 1, 1973, having transferred from the Hospital Corps of the Naval Reserve to the Dental Corps of the US Navy on June 19, 1950.

After receiving his commission in 1945, he attended the General Ordnance School, Washington, DC, until July 1945, then served as an Expeditor for Contract Terminations in the Bureau of Ordnance, Navy Department, Washington, DC. He remained there until released from active duty in June 1946. He then began his dental training at Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. While there, he returned to active naval service in November 1949 and continued his studies, receiving the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery in June 1950. During July and August of that year he was Assistant Dental officer at the Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia, after which he served his internship at the Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, Virginia and the Naval Dental School, Bethesda, Maryland. In August 1951 he reported as Assistant Dental Officer at the Naval Station, Norfolk, Virginia.

He reported in September 1952 as Assistant Dental Officer on board USS Missouri (BB-63), which operated in the Korean area during the hostilities there. Detached from the Missouri in August 1954, he next had postgraduate instruction at the Naval Dental School, Bethesda, Maryland. Assigned in July 1955 as Dental Officer at the Naval Administrative Unit, Clarksville Base, Clarksville, Tennessee, he established the Prosthetic Facility there before he transferred in July 1958 to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he served as Assistant Dental Officer at the Naval Air Station and Naval Dental School.

From July 1960 to July 1961 he served his residency in prosthodontics at the Naval Dental School, Bethesda, Maryland, after which he was Assistant and Prosthetic Dental Officer at the Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, Virginia. In September 1963 he reported as Senior Dental Officer of USS Amphion (AR-13), which participated in the support of naval units during the Dominican Republic Crisis of 1965.

In September 1965 he reported as Head of the Prosthodontics Department and Assistant Dental Officer at the Naval Dental Clinic, Norfolk, Virginia. While there he was Preceptor for Prosthodontic Fellowship and in 1967 was certified by the Board in Prosthodontics. In July 1969 he transferred, in a similar capacity, to the Naval Dental School, Bethesda, Maryland, where he remained until May 1972, then was assigned as Head of the Professional Branch, Dental Division, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Navy Department, Washington DC. He became Assistant Chief for Dentistry and Chief of the Dental Division in September 1973.

Rear Admiral Elliott has the China Service Medal; American Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal; National Defense Service Medal with bronze star; Korean Service Medal; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Dominican Republic) and the United Nations Service Medal. He also has the Korean Presidential Unit Citation Badge.

He is a member of Psi Omega Dental Fraternity; Omicron Kappa Epsilon Honorary Dental Fraternity; American Dental Association; American Prosthodontics Society and a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics.

He died on February 1, 2000. 

Published: Tue Dec 15 07:57:29 EST 2020