Earl W. Renfroe, African American orthodontist, educator, and activist (d. 2000)
Earl Wiley Renfroe (January 9, 1907 – November 14, 2000) was known as an innovator in the field of orthodontics and for breaking down the barriers of racism.
Renfroe taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry from 1933 through the 1980s. For many years, he was acknowledged as one of the best hands-on clinical orthodontics instructors in the world.
In 1957, with fellow faculty member Dr. Thomas K. Barber, Renfroe wrote a seminal article on the concepts of preventive and interceptive orthodontics. Renfroe is also considered one of the "fathers of orthodontics" in Brazil.