Dr. Irad Cochran Jr., Class of 1942
Friends, family and former patients gather at a May 17, 2008 birthday party for Cochran at Meadowbrook United Methodist Church. Photo: Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Ralph Lauer
Dr. Irad Cochran Jr. passed away on Sept. 27 at the age of 99.
This 1942 alumnus achieved a professional milestone in 2008 of which few can boast: He retired after 66 years of practicing dentistry, precisely on his 90th birthday.
When he graduated from the dental school, his father’s dental practice in Fort Worth, Texas, beckoned. Within a year, Cochran’s dental expertise was required for troops fighting in World War II, and a Navy deployment took him overseas to the South Pacific. But by 1946, Cochran was back in his hometown and ready to open his own practice. He stayed for the 62 years that followed, making an impact on his patients, and in turn, on Fort Worth itself. In some cases, he would treat three generations within one family. To him, the patients were the best part of it all.
“I’ve served the fine citizens of Fort Worth,” he said in a 2008 Baylor Dental Journal article. “I’ve had the most wonderful career.”
