When Chris Kratochvil, MD, vice chancellor of external relations for UNMC, was in undergraduate and medical school, he often turned to his uncle, a graduate of what was then the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry, for advice.
“Uncle Jim served as a mentor in many ways,” he said. “He was the first one in our family that chose a health care career, and certainly he was the one that piqued my interest in working with the military and influenced me in many ways.”
“Uncle Jim” was more formally known as Frank J. “Jim” Kratochvil, DDS, an Osmond, Nebraska native who served in the United States Navy for 22 years and across three conflicts – World War II, Korea and Vietnam – in the navy’s dental corps. He then became a professor at the UCLA School of Dentistry, first as chair of the section of removable prosthodontics – a new school in which he was charged with developing the predoctoral curriculum – and later as director of the school’s advanced prosthodontics residency program, the position he held until retirement in 1988.
The approach of Veterans Day and a recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery with his father, Dean Kratochvil, had the younger Dr. Kratochvil reflecting on his uncle’s approach to service.
“He was proud of his military service – that was very significant for him. He served our country for more than two decades in the Navy, but he also served as a prominent academician who was an outstanding clinician, educator, researcher and mentor,” Dr. Kratochvil said.
“He really emphasized what a privilege and honor it was to serve others, in both his Naval career and his career in academia. But more than that, he walked the walk. He was active in professional organizations, he worked with students and junior faculty, and the program he developed in removable prosthetics was recognized as one of the best in the country and was copied by many schools in the United States, Europe and Japan.
“Visiting the gravesite at Arlington was an incredible opportunity to reflect on his life of service, and a powerful experience,” Dr. Kratochvil said.
“His really was a life of service, compassion and joy,” Dr. Kratochvil said. “He set a high bar for himself and was grateful for the opportunities that he had to serve.”
Seeing the photos and hearing about Dr. Jim Kratochvil, a graduate of the university’s dental college, was “a powerful reminder of what UNMC alumni stand for,” said Gerard “Gerry” Kugel, DMD, PhD, dean of the college. “His 22 years in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps and his distinguished academic career exemplify clinical excellence, mentorship and a life dedicated to service. As we approach Veterans Day, we are proud to claim him as one of our own, and his legacy continues to inspire our students and faculty to serve with skill, humility and purpose.”
Thank you for your service, Uncle Jim. I’m sure you were an awesome mentor for the Kratochvil family.
Truly proud to call him my Uncle .
He was a great father and a great example for me to follow in my career. Love you Dad.
Jim continued to be a part of our educational process at Nebraska, even after retirement. When I put together the RPD course for the D2 students in 2007, I called on him repeatedly for help on clasping systems. He was always ready to help.
We met one evening for dinner where he talked about his contributions to our practice of prosthodontics. He and Verna Mae were great hosts and passed on considerable knowledge of both our specialty of prosthodontics, but also of his service to our country.
Our RPD course began with the knowledge of Dr. Art Schmidt, a 1922 graduate of Nebraska. Art then became head of prosthodontics at Nebraska until the beginning of WW2. Jim was his student. Art joined the Army Air Corps and served his country during the war. Art returned to Nebraska after the war, for two years, then returned to Lackland AFB where he became the commander of the Dental Corps.
Art Schmidt’s influence on the development of specialty programs for the USAF were monumental. These men were the heart of Nebraska.
I can provide photos of the men.