Dr. Bibb Hunter Ballard
A Legacy of Quiet Strength, Compassionate Service, and Enduring Faith
In Loving Memory
October 16, 1906 – October 6, 2007
“If I can make a little child smile who
has never had the ability to do so,
then I have served my purpose.”
– Dr. Bibb Ballard
In Loving Memory
October 16, 1906 – October 6, 2007
“If I can make a little child smile who
has never had the ability to do so,
then I have served my purpose.”
– Dr. Bibb Ballard
On October 16, 1906, on a small farmstead near Rutledge, Alabama, a child was born who would go on to impact countless lives. Bibb Hunter Ballard, the tenth of eleven children of Zack and Clementine Ballard, grew up in a home defined by love, discipline, faith, and unwavering integrity.
As a child, Bibb worked the fields, picked cotton, and handled the responsibilities expected of a young farm boy. Though school wasn’t his first love, athletics were. He excelled in football and boxing, channeling his energy into sports and physical fitness.
What began as a childhood of modest means and playful rebellion eventually became a life rooted in calling and character, guided largely by the faith and wisdom of his older sister, Cleon (“Aunt Clone”). She believed in him—and her influence pointed him toward something greater.
With nothing but grit and God-given drive, Bibb earned a football scholarship to Marion Military Institute and later enrolled in Emory University’s School of Dentistry during the Great Depression. He worked in restaurants, laundries, and even a funeral home to stay afloat. When tuition fell short, he hitchhiked to Ohio to build tires, saved what he could, and returned to finish his degree. By 1934, he was licensed in both Texas and Georgia, and Dr. Bibb Ballard’s career of service began.
Serving with His Hands and Heart
Dr. Ballard opened his orthodontic practice in Dallas in 1944. From his office in the Medical Arts Building, he didn’t just straighten teeth—he restored dignity. He offered care for children in need, always quietly, never seeking recognition. One such child was Rob Jenkins, an 11-year-old boy with no father, limited resources, and a mouth full of dental pain. Thanks to a loving church family and a discreet benefactor, Rob received braces from a man he didn’t even know.
That discreet benefactor was Dr. Ballard.
And he never told Rob.
A President Who Cared
As President of the Southwestern Society of Orthodontists (1960–1961), Dr. Ballard gave a bold, visionary address. He warned of growing inequality in access to dental care and challenged the profession to respond with compassion, leadership, and planning:
“We are treating those children whose parents have the ability to pay; those who cannot afford orthodontic care… are being deprived of this essential health service.” He urged his peers not to wait for bureaucrats or institutions to impose solutions, but to create compassionate strategies of their own. He believed in proactive, ethical leadership rooted in faith, freedom, and responsibility. His call was clear: “If I can make a little child smile who has never had the ability to do so, then I have served my purpose.”
He lived those words every day.
A Legacy That Lives On
Decades later, as Rob launched the Eternal Smiles Foundation, he still didn’t know the name of the man who gave him a new smile. 48 years after receiving the gift of braces from a stranger, a call from Ed Ballard changed everything. “My daddy was Dr. Bibb Ballard.” Rob finally understood.
“I thought I was the pebble dropped into the pond… but now I realize—I’m just one of Dr. Ballard’s ripples.”
Dr. Ballard’s life was never about fanfare – but now, his impact speaks louder than any spotlight ever could. Through the Eternal Smiles Foundation, his ripples continue. His name graces the Bibb Ballard Hall of Fame, a distinction given to similarly generous donors who bless a child with the gift of braces.
He never boasted. So, we will.
President – Dallas County Dental Society (1957)
President – Southwestern Society of Orthodontics (1960)
Dentist of the Year (1983)
50 Years of Service – Texas Dental Association (1994)
Lifetime Achievement Award (2006)
Visionary – American Orthodontics
But his greatest accomplishment?
He made children smile who never believed they could.
Thank You, Dr. Ballard
You were a servant. A healer. A mentor. A man of God. You built a life not for your own legacy, but for others’ futures. You showed us that quiet kindness can echo louder than any applause. You never needed recognition—but today, we recognize you.
Thank you for being the unseen hand that lifted others.
Thank you for turning your calling into a blessing for so many.
Thank you for giving—again and again—without needing to be known.
Now, you are known. And your story will never be forgotten.
Rob Jenkins, Founder, Eternal Smiles Foundation (left); Ed Ballard, son of Dr. Bibb Ballard (right)
Dr. Bibb Ballard’s gravestone
