On August 2, 1975, Dr. Russell Brooks Legg, Jr. began serving his local community by starting a dental practice in the town of Clay. This Aug. 2 marked his 50th anniversary. From humble beginnings working in his father’s general store, Dr. Legg developed the inner values that would carry him into adulthood and throughout his career. He is an avid fisherman and hunter, and always found time to finish his chores early, so that he could get out into the woods. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in high school where he learned leadership skills and the importance of public service.
He graduated Clay County High School in 1968. He attended both University of Kentucky and West Virginia University, with majors in chemistry and physics. Due to his exemplary academic record, he was accepted early to West Virginia University School of Dentistry through their accelerated program. There, Dr. Legg excelled even further by being named the top academic freshman of his class. He received the Robert Biddington Scholarship, which is awarded to the freshmen dental student with the highest scholastic grade point average. Not bad for a country boy, eh?
Dr. Legg leaned onto the values and skillsets that he learned as a young boy in Indore, WV and as an Eagle Scout, to propel him through dental school. Dr. Legg finished third in his dental school class of ‘68, graduating in 1975. He received many awards at graduation including his election to the Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKC) honor dental fraternity, which is limited to those dental students who have distinguished themselves by excellence in scholarship. He also received the American Academy of Oral Medicine Award, a Certificate of Honor (1975), the C.V. Mosley Award, and the Dentsply Removable Prosthodontics Award.
Dr. Legg married the love of his life, Diann Marie Brown of Cannelton, WV on July 20, 1974. After graduation, Dr. Legg and his wife Diann moved back to his hometown of Clay to begin his practice. Dr. Legg and his wife Diann opened a practice in the Clay County Health Department on Main Street in Clay.
After several years, Dr. Legg broke ground on his own office on 63 Carr St. in Clay, WV. He started out with one assistant and one secretary. Through adversity, Dr. Legg continued his serve to the community he loves, and grew his practice. He added dental hygienists, office administration and two additional dentists to his practice.
He has devoted most of his adult life to his patients, both adult and pediatric. Most of his patients know Dr. Legg to be a jokester and also a man of incredible integrity. He has mentored and tutored many students in the Clay County education system over the years. He has been known to say, “I’ve never worked a day in my life. I have the greatest job in the world.” His admiration is routinely reflected by his patients through the decades.
He was elected to the Clay County Board of Education in 1986 and was selected as President in 1998. He served as President of the Board of Education for 17 out of his 29 years as a member. He has always and continues to be an advocate for improving the economic and education opportunities for the residents of Clay County. He has a true passion for dentistry and serving his community. He has led by example his entire life, and continues to do so. He is a member and deacon of the Buffalo Valley Baptist Church. He has three children who adore him, and grew up in his practice. Dr. Legg’s practice is welcoming to all and has a family environment. When he expanded his office in 2001, he added a large communal room for his office family. Family and faith are the truths most valuable to Dr. Legg. Over the last 50 years, Dr. Legg has seen hundreds of patients both young and old. A big kid himself, he has developed a book of jokes, where his common contributors are his pediatric patients.
Dr. Legg’s career is one that many dream of. He has stayed true the values that were instilled in him as a child, and has persisted to achieve excellence. Success has various definitions. How do we measure one’s success? I’d say, for Dr. Legg, why don’t you ask his community. He has made an incredible impact of many lives in Clay County, one smile at a time. Dr. Legg’s practice not only talks the talk. He walks the walk.