“I was the first American Indian to be enrolled at Creighton University. And I began to realize that it was going to be very much living in a fishbowl, with everybody observing me and what I was doing as an American Indian.”
The AISES family is deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. George Blue Spruce Jr. As the first American Indian to graduate from a U.S. dental school, he opened doors for countless Indigenous students, not just in dentistry but across all health-related fields and STEM disciplines. His impact has been and will continue to be far reaching – he was a mentor, advocate, and cultural protector whose legacy will resonate for generations.
Dr. Blue Spruce, Laguna and Ohkay Ohwingeh Pueblo heritage, passed away on June 3 at the age of 94. Throughout his long life, he never ceased to push boundaries to help Indigenous people in every way possible, especially bridging health care gaps for tribal communities.
A resident of Arizona, he spent 21 years in the Indian Health Service, worked for the World Health Organization in South America, wrote drafts of legislation of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act of 1976, and served as assistant surgeon general and director of the Indian Health Service for the Phoenix area. [from Harvard Perspectives of Change]
He was a good friend of AISES and supporter of Winds of Change magazine, offering his perspective and advice in the Spring and Summer 2023 columns “Cultivating Indigenous Resilience.” He was also featured in an “AISES People” profile in the Summer 2023 digital issue.
Dr. Blue Spruce’s memoir, Searching for My Destiny, is a beacon of inspiration for Native youth. Published by Bison Books at the University of Nebraska Press in 2009, the memoir chronicles his 75-year journey. As told to Deanne Durrett, his story recounts a record of personal achievement from meeting President Gerald Ford, serving as assistant surgeon general, founding the Society of American Indian dentists, and serving as the assistant dean at the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health.
Along with a passion for inspiring future Indigenous health professionals, Dr. Blue Spruce had a passion for the sport of tennis. His success in athletics reflected the same discipline and focus he brought to public service. He won the singles title at the American Indian Tennis Championships in 1977 and gold medals in the Phoenix Senior Olympics in 1983 and 1984. In 1996, he became the first male tennis player inducted into the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame.
In 1990, Dr. Blue Spruce received the highest AISES honor, the Ely S. Parker Award. He also earned numerous distinctions from tribal leaders and many professional and civic organizations. In 1984, he received Crieghton University’s highest alumni award, the Alumni Achievement Citation. In 2024, Dr. Blue Spruce was inducted as a fellow in the American College of Dentists. Through the Society of American Indian Dentists (SAID), Dr. Blue Spruce’s tireless advocacy and mentorship have contributed to the education and success of over 450 American Indian dentists.
He was especially honored when “Dr. George Blue Spruce Day” was declared by the governor of New Mexico on April 14, 1974, and A.T. Still University of Health Sciences declared Dr. Blue Spruce Jr. Day on November 19, 2024, for 20 years of service to the university, where he worked full time until his passing.
Born in 1931 at the Santa Fe Indian Hospital, Dr. Blue Spruce grew up to be the valedictorian at St. Michael’s High School in Santa Fe. After earning a degree in dental surgery at Creighton University (1956), he earned a master’s in public health from the University of California, Berkeley (1967). He served in the U.S. Navy as an officer on the USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear submarine, and went on to advance through the ranks at the Indian Health Service, serving more than two decades with the agency.
Dr. Blue Spruce was buried with full military honors at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe, N.M., on June 17. A celebration of life ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. October 4, at the Heard Museum in Phoenix. The AISES family extends heartfelt sympathy to his wife, Patricia, and three adult children.