Dr. Bill Binnie, Regents Professor emeritus Photo courtesy Media Resources

Q&A with Dr. Bill Binnie

This Baylor College of Dentistry Hall of Fame inductee shares what he considers some of the most rewarding aspects of his years at the dental school and divulges how he spends his days in retirement. (Think running a beautifully appointed bed-and-breakfast in St. Andrews, Scotland, mixed with none other than — you guessed it — teaching.)

BDRO: Dr. Binnie, you’ve dedicated your entire career to education and academics. Even now in retirement you can’t stay away, working part time at the Edinburgh Postgraduate Dental Institute. What does your future hold, in terms of your continuing work in the dental education field?

Binnie: I switched from helping out at my alma mater, the University of Glasgow Dental School, and moved to the Edinburgh Postgraduate Dental Institute at the request of the dean, who had been one of my students in London! Currently, I am involved two days a week. I have two oral medicine clinics, teach oral pathology to graduate students and help out with the biopsy service. I still enjoy the contact with students and colleagues, and presenting continuing education courses, but all-day courses are more tiring than they used to be!

In addition, Cheryl — my wife — and I have our bed-and-breakfast named Lone Star, which is St. Andrews' only five-star B&B! We love the town, which is the home of golf and also boasts a 600-year-old university. It is enjoyable for us to have most of our guests from the U.S., including TAMHSC friends such as Nancy and Frank (Coach) Dickey, Gary and Pat Coleman, and Scott and Morna Staffel. Many great reunions!

BDRO: While you spent a good portion of your career here at TAMHSC-BCD, our dental school wasn’t the only institution with which you were affiliated. Thinking back to nearly three decades at TAMHSC-BCD in particular, what aspects of working at our dental school did you find most rewarding?

Binnie: My 27 years at BCD were the most enjoyable and rewarding period of my life. You cannot ask for more than enthusiastic students, loyal faculty and alumni, a supportive board of trustees and TAMHSC administrators including appreciative, creative deans.

My time at TAMHSC-BCD has been happier, more successful and rewarding than I could ever have anticipated.

I feel honored to be a Regents Professor emeritus, appointed vice president for academic affairs in the TAMHSC (a dentist!!), invited to give the commencement address while still a faculty member and now elected to the TAMHSC-BCD Hall of Fame. My classmates in dental school would faint or — at our age — something worse! 

I can never thank the institution enough for what it has given me.