A century of influence: Part 2. The greatest generation

•Orthodontists born 1900-1920 came of age during war, and many served their country.•They enjoyed broader access to graduate orthodontic programs at a few schools.•Graduates took what they learned to new programs at schools across the United States.

The story of orthodontics during the first 100 years of Journal publication can be told through the people who lived it. As part of the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics' Centennial celebration, we present 100 people who most influenced the specialty during the last 100 years. Part 2 picks up with “the greatest generation” and describes those born in the first 2 decades of the 20th century. Whether born in Europe or the United States, their lives and educations were disrupted by world war. Many served during the years of conflict, and a few paid an even heavier price. After World War II, they returned home or immigrated to the United States and resumed their life's work in orthodontics.