UNMC history: Dean’s passions were dentistry, diabetes research

The late Stephen Leeper, DDS, was the seventh dean of the UNMC College of Dentistry, serving from 1989 to 1999. 

Stephen Leeper, DDS

In 1959, he graduated first in his class from the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry. He began his career in education five years later, in 1964, when he accepted a part-time instructor position in prosthodontics at the college, going on to become an assistant professor in 1972. He served as the chair of the department of adult restorative dentistry and the dean of clinics before being appointed, on March 1, 1989, as the dean of the UNMC College of Dentistry by Chancellor Charles Andrews, MD. 

Dr. Leeper led the college's research expansion with the opening of the Cruzan Center for Dental Research. He initiated a reorganization of the departments and contributed to creating a patient-centered, comprehensive care curriculum. He was a member and officer of numerous dental societies. In 1997, the Supreme Chapter of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the National Dental Honor Society, created a teaching award named in his honor. Dr. Leeper's contribution to Nebraska dentistry is without question. 

Dr. Leeper also was dedicated to another interest, one which was very near and dear to him. In 1971, Dr. Leeper's 7-year-old son Mark was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes (T1D). In the 1970s, many believed that T1D only appeared in children, and it was therefore called juvenile diabetes.

In 1974, while researching management and treatment of the illness, Dr. Leeper and his wife, Jan, co-founded the Lincoln chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF). JDF was a young organization founded nationally in 1970, and the Lincoln chapter was one of the first five chapters in the country. The goal of the non-profit organization was to advance the understanding and treatment of diabetes and its complications.

Fundraising for research into a cure and improved treatments is one of the regular activities of the foundation. Dr. Leeper introduced one of his passions into JDF fundraising by selling balloons at Husker football games from the 1970s into the 1990s. Starting in 1979, JDF worked with Tassels, the student pep organization, to sell balloons for $1 each.

College of Dentistry students also volunteered their time to inflate and sell balloons at football games for JDF.  

The JDF later changed its name to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Dr. Leeper served as the president of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International from 1993 to 1995. He and his wife were active in advocating for a cure for diabetes through the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures. 

After a lifetime of dedication to helping people through dentistry and diabetes research, Dr. Leeper passed away on July 14, 2019.