EIOH Alumni Honors Parents’ Love Story with Gift Murray Rosenthal said the time he spent at Eastman Dental shaped his whole dental life. That is why he recently donated $100,000, a gift that not only helps future residents, but also honors the love story of his parents, who met at the Dental Dispensary in the 1930’s.
“My time at Eastman was the best education I ever received,” said Dr. Rosenthal, a 1964 AEGD alum, born and raised in Brighton, NY. “I was there during the Bibby and Buonocore years –a time that was so rich with ideas and scientific discoveries.” Dr. Basil Bibby, the second director of Eastman Dental, was a pioneer in dental research and provided valuable insight into the relationship between food, bacteria and fluoride and dental caries. Dr. Michael Buonocore developed a new technique for increasing the adhesion of acrylic resin to enamel, completely changing the course of restorative dentistry. Murray’s love for dentistry began at about 8 years old, when he started hanging out at his father and grandfather’s shared dental practice. “Grandpa and I would put together plaster molds and develop x-rays,” he recalled. “I have so many wonderful memories spending time with my grandparents.” One afternoon, his grandfather wasn’t feeling well and
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went home to take a nap. Less than an hour later, the young Murray was told his beloved grandfather had died. “I ran to my grandparent’s home and saw my Grandpa lying there, and I was overcome with grief,” Murray said. “That was it. I decided right then and there, I was going to be a dentist like Grandpa.” Murray graduated from Brighton High School in 1957 and entered the University of Buffalo where he spent two years as an undergraduate. To expedite his undergraduate prerequisite courses for dental school, Murray enrolled in physics at the University of Rochester during the summer of 1958 and promptly aced his dental boards in 1959. Soon, the dental school at Buffalo accepted him.
