Portrait of a Professional

Early Life

Dr. Yoshitaka (Yosh) Ogata, the third of five children born to Masato (Ichiro) and Ine Ogata of Seattle, was born in Kurumi, Japan. He was their only child not born in the United States because his mother was visiting relatives at the time. Although his mother brought him back to Seattle when he was very young - and it remains his home today - that twist of fate would be an obstacle years later when he applied to dental schools.

In the 1930s, Seattle was in the middle of the Depression with soup lines and people living in cardboard shacks called "Hoovervilles." Dr. Ogata's family owned a laundry in Seattle's International District, which served railroad workers, longshoremen, and fishermen. One of Yosh's early memories was getting 25 cents from his father every week for a haircut. He would race to the barber college where haircuts were only 15 cents. Then, he and two friends would pool their money, rent a fishing boat, and catch perch, shiner, and salmon from Puget Sound. Dr. Ogata's maintains his great passion for fishing. And the haircut? His father would always rub his head and say it was great as long as it was short.

Yosh always had plenty of chores to do at the laundry and at home. He chopped wood, and cleaned and blocked hats such as Stetsons and Dobbs, but it was delivering the laundry that would prove to be invaluable training. He found that meeting customers and finding out what satisfied them taught him diplomacy and how to explain things carefully so that there were no misunderstandings. Today, communication and extra care are hallmarks of Dr. Ogata's orthodontic practice.

Internment

Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, dramatically changed Dr. Ogata's life. He was 11 and in seventh grade. He recalls polishing the family Chevy when a neighbor rushed over to announce that Pearl Harbor was being attacked. When Executive Order 9066 was signed on Feb. 19, 1942, the Ogata family was told that they could no longer freely move about in the city. The entire Japanese-American community was forced to sell their possessions, businesses, and homes and move to the Puyallup fairgrounds, which served as a temporary assembly center. Each person was limited to two pieces of luggage, including bedding. Dr. Ogata vividly remembers two friends asking, "What did you guys do wrong?" and "Did you get a trial?" His answer was "Nothing," and "No."

The Japanese-American community was then sent to the Minadoka Concentration Camp, a very dry, hot, and dusty camp in Hunt, Idaho, complete with guard towers, barbed wires, and sentries. Armed jeeps patrolled the camp's perimeter. Conditions were primitive: residents ate together in the mess hall and used communal washrooms. To help his campmates' spirits, Yosh played the saxophone (see photo), which, in addition to the clarinet, he played in high school and in college.

In spite of the difficult conditions in the camp, many Japanese-Americans wanted to show their loyalty to the United States by volunteering for military duty. Many were assigned to the famous of Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most highly decorated unit in World War II. Yosh's oldest brother George served in military intelligence. George had been interested in pursuing a dental career and had sent for dental catalogues. To pass the time in camp, Yosh studied them and became intrigued.

Back to Seattle, Off to Dental School

After World War II, Yosh returned to Seattle and enrolled at Garfield High School. During this time, his dentist and Sunday school teacher, Dr. Susumi Fukuda, encouraged him to think about dentistry. He saw that Yosh liked putting together model airplanes and was impressed by his handiwork. In his senior year, Yosh answered a college questionnaire about his future by automatically writing down "dentistry."

At the University of Washington, he majored in zoology with a minor in music. Between studies, he was in a dance band. The band consisted of four saxes, three trumpets, one trombone, and three rhythm players (drums, bass, and piano). Yosh played both the alto sax and the clarinet.

During the summer, he worked in Alaska. Although, the work was hard and the hours long, Yosh knew it would help pay for dental school. A nice bonus was going sport fishing with his younger brother, Yoshiteru, on his days off.

Getting into dental school was very difficult, because Dr. Ogata was not a U.S. citizen, and there was no way for Asians to become naturalized in the early 1950s. His applications were rejected.

However, he was fortunate that people believed in his dream. The Reverend from Yosh's church took the time to write to Henry "Scoop" Jackson, a young Senator from Washington. Senator Jackson, convinced that something needed to be done, proposed two solutions: One was to attach Yosh's name as a rider on a bill that was sure to be approved. This would allow Congress to grant him citizenship. The other was the McCarran-Walter Act, which would allow Asians to become citizens through the naturalization process.

On April 13, 1953, Yoshitaka Ogata became one of the first in the nation to be naturalized under the new McCarran-Walter law. As a citizen, he was quickly accepted to several dental schools. Yosh married his college sweetheart Mabel Kondo, a University of Washington undergraduate from Priest River, Idaho, and together they set off for Washington University in St. Louis.

Dental School

On the way to St. Louis, Yosh and Mabel stopped by the University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC) to visit some dental student friends. Yosh was introduced to Dean Roy Rhinehart who, surprisingly, offered him a place in the current class although the school had already been in session for a week. Yosh happily accepted and he and Mabel remained in the Kansas City for the next six years while he earned his Master of Orthodontics degree.

They lived in public housing with many other dental students. Money was tight but Mabel's job as a dental assistant helped pay the bills. Mabel always found time to keep Yosh's white clinical gowns starched and ironed. With a tight budget, they chose to buy a black-and-white TV instead of joining a dental fraternity so that Mabel would have something to do on all those nights Yosh was studying for exams or doing lab work. Their hard work and sacrifice paid off when he graduated Omicron Kappa Upsilon from UMKC in 1957 and was accepted into the Orthodontic Program. Dr. Ogata points out that without Mabel's help he would not have made it through dental school. He notes that, typically, not enough credit is given to spouses who help them succeed in their professional lives.

The UMKC orthodontic program, chaired by Drs. Victor Bowles and Francis Calmes, taught a variety of treatment philosophies, among them edgewise, lightwire, and twin wire. Dr. Ogata's classmates became great friends and remain very close to this day. Dr. Galen Callender, Dr. Joe Hardin, Dr. Dow Miller, and Dr. Ogata get together yearly, with their wives always joking that they're all still married to the "same old husbands" after 40-plus years!

Army Life

Immediately after finishing his master's, Dr. Ogata was inducted into the United States Army and assigned to Fort Richardson, Alaska. Army life was a respite from the economic stress of dental school. For the first time, he was paid regularly and was able to enjoy Alaska's hunting and fishing during the long summer days. Skiing was also very good, with excellent snow under beautiful northern lights.

Yosh also learned a lesson in getting along with the other armed services. Upon arriving at the base, the Air Force General informed him the Army was only here to "protect our landing strips!" That basically meant the Air Force orthodontist, Dr. Ralph Mosher, got what he wanted and Dr. Ogata had to wait about six months for supplies. He could request whatever he wanted from the General Dental Catalogues but orthodontic supplies had to be special ordered. This usually took about six months - forms had to be passed along the chain of command and for orders had to be bid out by civilians. What usually happened was that Dr. Ogata would visit Dr. Mosher and "trade" what the Army needed from the Air Force. The two forged a bond and remain good friends to this day.

One day the Base Personnel Officer brought his daughter in for treatment. Dr. Ogata was completely booked - he had no assistant to make appointments, sterilize instruments, and assist with orthodontics - and he had to say, "No." The Major replied, "By hook or by crook, tomorrow you will have an assistant!" The next day, a dental assistant arrived and, eventually, the Major's daughter had straight teeth. The assistant enjoyed working with Dr. Ogata so much he later went on to get his dental degree from University of Illinois.

Downtown Seattle

When it was time to open his own practice, Dr. Ogata returned to his hometown. With the encouragement of Dr. Richard Philbrick and Dr. George McCulloch, he set up a practice in downtown Seattle. They were a wonderful source of referrals and gave excellent advice on both the business and the clinical side of orthodontics. In the early 1960s, downtown Seattle was an orthodontic haven and Dr. Ogata was busy from the start. There were a number of other prominent practitioners there to share ideas with, including Drs. Dan Empinger, Wayne Bolton, Arnie Stoller, Bob Kemp, Bill Takano, and Ken Kahn. He found the downtown orthodontists generous by nature and always willing to help with problems he encountered with his patients.

Dr. Philbrick sponsored Dr. Ogata for the Angle Society, where Yosh served four years as Secretary to the Northwest Component. Working with Dick provided valuable practical insight into orthodontic treatment. Reviewing his Angle cases every six months included consideration of the physiologic and biologic factors that help achieve and retain excellent clinical results. It was during this period that Dr. Ogata began to integrate these factors into his treatment mechanics. He found that by achieving a physiologic airway and normal muscle function, he got long-term stability. In 1978, he was asked to present these ideas at the national Angle meeting.

American Board and Honors

The 1972 American Board of Orthodontics was held in New Orleans. The Oral Board - Drs. Reed Holdaway, John Rathbone, and Eugene West - had selected one of his CL. II, Div. 2 cases and proceeded to ask him a "million" questions about it. Dr. Ogata grew increasingly anxious during the examination. When it was over, he felt honored when they asked him to write the case up for the American Journal of Orthodontics, but he was still so nervous he could barely reply, "Yes." A wonderful thing about taking the Board was the opportunity for applicants to hang out, talk shop, and enjoy a very special experience, which they continue to share. Among the applicants taking the 1972 Board were Drs. Tom Mulligan, Ron Roth, and Hugh Sobottka (Dr. Ogata's son, Randy, would later purchase Hugh's practice).

Together, Dr. Ogata and Dr. Rodney Dubois taught orthodontic principles at The Children's Orthopedic Hospital in Seattle. Dr. Ogata has also volunteered to help out the elderly Japanese-American Community at the Keiro Nursing home.

Dr. Ogata has lectured both nationally and internationally, speaking throughout Europe and Japan to numerous orthodontic programs. He has been inducted into three honorary colleges. He is a fellow of the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists, and the International College of Cranio-mandibular Orthopedics. In 1990, the University of Missouri-Kansas City honored Dr. Ogata as The Orthodontic Alumnus of the Year.

Study Club

In the early 1960s, Dr. Ogata and a number of prominent orthodontists formed the Puget Sound Orthodontic Study Club. Members include Drs. Gene Brain, Jack Brandon, Rodney Dubois, Ross Taylor, Bill Oliver, Barry Simonsen, and the late Drs. Frank Frazier, Howard Fultz, and Wilber Ricketts. This group has been honored to have extremely active members in organized orthodontics, including an AAO President (Dr. Gene Brain) and two PCSO presidents (Drs. Rod Dubois and Gene Brain). In addition to keeping abreast of all the important orthodontic news, the club has a lot of fun - family outing and fishing trips, as well as guest lecturers. Most important, they cover for each other in times of emergency. This Club continues to meet today and to add new members who are eager to learn and share in a lifetime of orthodontic experiences. Recent members include: Drs. Chris Manley, Kirby Nelson, Greg Ogata, Randy Ogata, and Darrin Vierra.

Family

Dr. Ogata is now known as the original "Dr. O" because two of his sons have followed in his footsteps. All the dinner table talk about overjets and overbites must have had an influence - either that or it was all the family vacations spent at dental meetings. Perhaps it is in the DNA since the family includes three more dentists as well as a number of hygienists in Washington State alone.

Greg is an orthodontist (University of Washington Dental and St. Louis Orthodontics '97). He built a new building for his practice located on the Sammamish Plateau east of Seattle. He is active in organized dentistry, serving on the Board of the Washington Oral Health Foundation, elected to the Washington State Dental House of Delegates, and member of numerous committees at the county, state, and PCSO level. Greg is also active with the Washington State Society of Orthodontists where he chairs the publication committee and serves as the current editor of the state newsletter. Most recently, he was elected to the Executive Committee of the Seattle King County Dental Society.

Randy is also an orthodontist, (University of Washington, BS in Zoology '88, University of Nebraska Dental '92, University of Oklahoma Orthodontics, '94). He has two practices: one in the University of Washington neighborhood and he's also taken over "Dr. O's" downtown Seattle practice. He serves as the chairman of the American Dental Association Committee on the New Dentist. This commitment has him flying across the U.S. almost every other weekend. But since he shares his father's love of fishing, he views it as an opportunity to catch many different fish. He recently served as chairman for the Washington State Society of Orthodontics and as a delegate to the Washington State House. He's also past chair of the Seattle-King County Committee on New Dentists, and recently helped establish the PCSO new orthodontist committee.

Julie Ogata is currently the weekend anchor and "Your Money" business reporter for Seattle's KOMO 4 Television (an ABC affiliate). She has won multiple Emmy awards for excellence in broadcasting. Hawaiian PCSO members may remember her when she was a news reporter for the NBC Station KHNL. Julie has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington and graduated with honors with a Masters of Mass Communications from Arizona State University. Before she embarked on her journalism career, she was a University of Washington Husky Cheerleader.

Brett, the youngest son, has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master's in Math from Santa Clara University. He's currently teaching at Lincoln High School in San Jose, California, where he's also the head of the math department. Brett loves working with young people and currently coaches the boy's football and basketball teams for the Lincoln Lions.

At press time, Dr. and Mrs. Ogata expect to have been blessed by three grandchildren.

Looking ahead, Dr. Yoshitaka Ogata appreciates that, given "the high caliber of the new members and the interest of these new orthodontists, the future of the profession is very bright and in good hands."

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