History of Cedar Falls, (Black Hawk County) Iowa United States of America

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Kern M. Fullerton, D. D. S., of Cedar Falls. This bright and successful young professional man was born in Crawford county, Pa., February 9, 1865. His great-grandfather on the paternal side emigrated from the north of Ireland to the United States. The family originated in Scotland, but the exact date of the removal of the first members to Ireland is not known. In the spelling of the name the letter 'e' has been substituted for that of 'a', as it appeared in the second syllable of the signatures of the early Fullartons. At the time of their residence in Ireland they were termed Protestant Catholics, that being the name given to those settlers who came from Scotland and located in the north of Ireland. Grandfather Fullerton was a very rich man, as riches went in those days, and his wealth was represented in most part by broad, fertile acres and chests of gold and silver. The maternal grandparents were natives of Germany, but a branch of the family came, at a very early period, from Greece.

The early life of this Mr. Fullerton was spent at the place of his birth near Meadville, Pa., where he attended the district school. Later he entered the high school at Cambridge. Upon leaving the home farm permanently he removed to Ohio and engaged with a railroad contractor, remaining there for several months; then he returned to Pennsylvania and was employed in the lumbering districts of Elk county. In 1887 he came to Iowa, and soon thereafter entered the dental department of the Iowa State university, from which he graduated in 1889. During his college life he was a tireless student, and the hours that were spent in a chase after pleasure by many of his associates were by him devoted to hard and persistent study. He was foremost among those who organized the S. U. I. Dental society. This organization was composed of the students of that department, and held weekly meetings where papers on dentistry, prepared by the students, were read and discussed.

In politics Dr. Fullerton is a democrat, but is not a radical politician. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and B. P. O. E. [p.205] In a professional way he belongs to that class to which work for the elevation of his science is a positive pleasure. He is a member of the Eastern Iowa Dental society and the Iowa State Dental society, having served as president of the first named organization. He was elected president of the Iowa State Dental society at its annual meeting held in Des Moines in May, 1897, serving one year. Being keenly alive to the importance of being up to date in his profession, Doctor Fullerton takes a deep interest in all matters that will in any way assist him to that end. His library is well stocked with dental literature, and he keeps up with the spirit of progression in his profession.

SOURCE: Biographies and Portraits of the Progressive Men of Iowa published by Conway and Shaw, Des Moines: 1899.

History of Cedar Falls, (Black Hawk County) Iowa

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