Sol "Bud" Silverman was a pioneer in oral medicine science and care. He was among a small group of clinician scientists who put the field on the map internationally, which led to improved diagnosis and management of oral cancer and a wide range of oral disorders.

Dr. Silverman graduated from the UCSF School of Dentistry with his DDS in 1954 and joined the faculty that same year, immersing himself in the then-young dental specialty field of oral medicine with professor Hermann Becks. In 1957 he became a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Medicine and in 1963 collaborated with professor Jens Pindborg in Copenhagen, initiating a long and distinguished career in clinical care and research and international reputation. Over six decades, he published numerous original articles, book chapters and monographs on a wide range of subjects related to oral medicine and cancer.

Dr. Silverman received many honors and awards throughout his long and distinguished career, including the 1982 Samuel Charles Miller Award for Outstanding Contributions to Oral Medicine, American Academy of Oral Medicine; the 1986 American Academy of Oral Medicine Meritorious Award for Distinguished Service; the 1996 American Dental Association Norton Ross Award for Excellence in Clinical Research; and the 1999 Diamond Pin (highest award) from the American Academy of Oral Medicine. In 1981 he was among the earliest recipients of the UCSF Dental Alumni Association Medal of Honor, and in 2005 he was named the Faculty Research Lecturer for UCSF School of Dentistry Research Day (now Research and Clinical Excellence Day).

Under Dr. Silverman’s stewardship, UCSF’s Department of Oral Medicine and Hospital Dentistry flourished and developed an interdisciplinary approach to education, research and patient care – a framework that still stands today. During his tenure, the Oral Medicine Clinical Center became a major referral center for the Bay Area, recognized nationally and internationally for its expertise in clinical care, teaching and research. Dr. Silverman recruited many individuals who became academic leaders and who still occupy leadership roles in the school. He was a major contributor to the transformation of the school from a mainly clinical enterprise into one of the premier research institutions in the United States.

Dr. Silverman always had a large gathering around him: dental and medical students, residents and even some faculty members, who followed him during his clinical consultations. They watched him as he worked as a healer – always keeping in mind his role as a teacher, which was so important to him. His teaching extended beyond the clinic and the laboratory to many other valuable life lessons – including personal interactions, professional networking and conflict management.

Dr. Silverman was revered not only by the generation of oral medicine specialists he trained, but also by his colleagues all over the world, and by his patients, who would at times fly across the country to see him. He was incredibly devoted to his patients, with a calm, down-to-earth yet confident demeanor that would reassure even the most anxious patient. His perennial youthfulness also never ceased to amaze everyone around him, and his passion for teaching and for learning never seemed to fade.

Dr. Silverman trained a generation of oral medicine providers. They are his legacy. Those who survive him are humbled and honored to be a part of the great legacy he left behind.

In creating this library, it was his expressed wish and ours that the discoveries he contributed to for over half a century of service be easily accessible and available for current and future clinicians and scientists.

As the immediate beneficiaries of his life’s service, we who trained and worked with Dr. Silverman believe that the library stands as a testament not only to his impressive body of work but first and foremost to his philosophy that knowledge is to be tirelessly sought, freely shared and passed on with the sole goal of advancing science and knowledge to the benefit of fellow professionals, students and patients.