Dr. Rose Ellen Bywater Valentine, First Female, Utah-born Dentist
- Ken Bott
- Dec 18, 2025
- 2 min read
Dr. Rose Ellen (Ella) Bywater Valentine was born in 1875 in Brigham City, Utah. After teaching school for a time, Rose Ellen was offered a job by a family friend, Dr. L. H. Berg, a local dentist.
While she initially avoided participating in the actual dentistry, one day a tooth needed to be extracted and the doctor wasn’t there, so she performed her first tooth extraction. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Berg encouraged her to continue extracting teeth. Ella became increasingly interested in all areas of dentistry and attended dental conferences. Dr. Berg encouraged Ella to become a full doctor and the opportunity arose in 1900 when Utah began regulating certifications and allowed those who had been practicing to take the state examination. Ella took the test and, according to her memoir, “after many delays and disappointments,” she became Dr. Ella Bywater. Ella’s memoirs did not specify what the delays and disappointments were but her relative, Ray C. Hillam, noted them. She was denied practice and threatened by the State Board of Dental Examiners who told her she had failed the test and refused to give her a license. They also said they would issue a warrant for her every 10 days that she continued to practice. Eventually Ella secured the legal services of a local attorney, Ricy H. Jones, to prepare the complaint and put the issue into the courts. The court eventually ruled in her favor and the very board members who denied her practice signed her license. She practiced for several years in Brigham City and was licensed as a dentist from 1903 until 1960. She and her husband, Hyrum W. Valentine, also served as mission presidents on two occasions.
As an interesting aside, Utah’s first pediatric dentist, Dr. Chris Simonsen (Bountiful) is also from Brigham City.
Photos are used for nonprofit, educational, and noncommercial uses only. Newspaper articles were gathered from www.newspapers.lib.utah.edu
Dr. Bywater and Dr. Berg in front of their office just north of the (now) Wells Fargo Bank on Main Street
Same photo including the former home of Samuel Smith that became Dr. Berg's office
Dr. Bywater practiced for a time in A.W. Ensign's office in the second floor of the building that is currently Consignology
BENJ 2/23/1926. Dr. Bywater Valentine and her husband both having their offices in the Wells Fargo Building
Salt Lake Tribune 9/14/1945
Box Elder News 9/14/1955
Deseret News 9/15/1961
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