Frank David Low, D.D.S. Memorial Scholarship

The oldest of four children, Frank was not one to tolerate boredom. So, growing up in Augusta, Georgia, it was almost predictable that he’d become an accomplished golfer. While spending a summer in Florida as a young teen, Frank developed a passion for surfing, heeding the ocean’s call in his first car—a yellow 1964 Malibu. Also a spirited ping-pong player, he conspired to have a table installed at a neighborhood church where he and his eager competitors would have a good table in a dedicated space. He turned an analytical mind to card games, playing serious bridge (learning first from his mother) and later hosting “Low’s Poker Parlor” after 3 o’clock on school days his senior year.

Finding a novel way to deal with factual disagreements, Frank wanted a way to profit from being right. With a glint in his eye, he’d “bet you a nickel!” Upon proof of the correct fact, the winner won the nickel, and the loser learned something—on the cheap! Giving a nod to their ingenious brother, his siblings still (and often) employ the nickel bet among themselves and their friends.

Though he gave his parents reason enough to wonder what machinations were being plotted under their roof, Frank often pleased them. Having brought his father’s dusty photography equipment out of storage, he was soon taking and developing photos in a makeshift darkroom. His mother, a fan extraordinaire of Rod Sterling and his offbeat “Twilight Zone” received a prized birthday gift: an autographed photo of her handsome hero.

Frank was an avid skateboarder and thought the campus of Georgia Tech perfectly built for getting around on the small boards of his day. Prior to attending MCV (now VCU), he graduated with a degree in chemistry.

When he entered dental school, he was on his way to fulfilling his father’s wish that he’d become a dentist. Not content without a challenge, he spent the summer between his junior and senior years in Nicaragua under the auspices of Amigos de las Americas. Setting up a tent office, he would spend the day almost exclusively pulling teeth to do what he could to take away the pain of his patients. That experience moved him deeply, and, after graduating and an internship at the VA hospital in Los Angeles, Frank had hoped to serve the underprivileged, relieving their agony and teaching effective dental hygiene.

An exceptional man who deeply loved his family and infant daughter, Frank David Low died young. The memorial fund in his name been established to assist future generations.