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Alum Honors Parents’ Love Story
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 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.
Dr. Murray Rosenthal, with friend Roberta Garfinkle and his parents, at a 1971 Sarah Vaughn concert at the Rockefeller Center.
As a child, Murray’s grandmother had taken him and his younger brother to see concerts and movies, which, for Murray, planted the seeds of a life-long love affair with theater and the performing arts. After he graduated from UB and then Eastman Dental a year later, he opened a practice in Greece specializing in pediatric dentistry utilizing the skills and knowledge gained from his time at Eastman. After one year in practice he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He spent one year at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs and the second year in Vietnam, at a base in the city of Nha Trang. The things he witnessed during active duty were extremely difficult, but some positives occurred during his time there, like seeing Vietnam’s beautiful countryside, learning its history, and earning a Bronze Star for setting up a dental clinic and serving the local residents with much-needed dental treatment. As one of the many fatigued and disheartened troops, a bright spot occurred when he was able to see comedian Bob Hope, who came to entertain them.
When he returned, he worked in a community health center in the Bronx, earned a certificate in periodontics from Columbia University in 1971, and completed fellowships in community medicine and computer application in medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1977. During the decade from mid-seventies to 1987, he served as a dental director for three clinics, served as a consultant to the Public Health Service of DHHS and New York City’s Health and Hospital Corporation. He developed several systems for assessing quality of care and administering dental clinics. His work, “Dr. Rosenthal’s Toolkit,” and a book he co-authored, A Comprehensive Quality Assurance System for Practicing Dentists, can be seen on his website. Both are widely used today. In 1976 he opened a part-time periodontal practice in Manhattan which continues today. “Because dentistry is changing rapidly, this type of support offered by Dr. Rosenthal is of utmost importance for our program to maintain its leading position in post-doctoral general dentistry education in the world.”
–Dr. Hans Malmström
In 1987, Dr. Rosenthal was appointed director of the Bureau of Dental Health Services in the NYC Department of Health. He worked to update clinics and started programs to reach underserved neighborhoods using portable dental units and increasing the number of children on Medicaid to receive orthodontic care. His background in pediatric dental care from Eastman was invaluable in creating a modern urban municipal dental program. His supervisor, Dr. Peggy Hamburg, described it as a premier program. During this period, he worked with the New York City Dental Society in developing infection control protocols for the state as a result of the AIDS epidemic. His gift will be used for expanded General Dentistry clinic space, which is still in the planning stages, and will be named the Rosenthal Corridor.
His father, Dr. G. George Rosenthal finished his program at Eastman at the same time his mother, Violet Ruth Bloom, completed the Eastman Hygiene Program in 1935. His grandfather and brother were also dentists, and his Aunt Rose graduated from the Eastman Hygiene Program in 1929. His mother was also actively involved as an
administrator with Eastman’s SMILEmobiles, the region’s first mobile dental clinic. In the 1950s, she also helped recruit graduating high school students to the Hygiene Program during Career Nights. This gift, in particular, is given in honor of his mother. “We’re very grateful to Dr. Rosenthal,” said Dr. Eli Eliav, director and professor, Eastman Institute for Oral Health. “The funds will allow renovations and technology updates to provide the very best training and care environment for EIOH residents and patients.” “This very generous gift will allow our residents to receive training in a state-of-the-art clinic, with the latest in technology, to excel in their profession,” said Dr. Hans Malmström, professor and chair, EIOH General Dentistry and director of the AEGD Residency Program. “Because dentistry is changing rapidly, this type of support offered by Dr. Rosenthal is of utmost importance for our program to maintain its leading position in post-doctoral general dentistry education in the world.” His gift honors his loving parents, who modeled hard work, education, compassion, tenacity, and service to others. They also introduced Murray to the arts, “My mother’s first love was music, and went to Eastman School of Music,” he said. “But because she liked jazz more than classical piano, it didn’t work out. So she studied hygiene! I loved watching her play our grand piano at home, I admired her so much – she had so many talents!” He’s grateful for all his mother encouraged him to do, like taking art lessons and piano lessons. When Murray was about eight years old, his parents took him and his younger brother, Richard, to their first musical, Oklahoma, and they became completely infatuated with the theater.
That infatuation grew into true love, with Richard becoming an actor and singer, appearing in three Broadway productions, and leading Murray into his sideline career—a Tony award-winning producer of three Broadway shows, and president of a non-profit opera company. His role? Marketing, scriptwriting, and financing several shows through the years. For years, Murray has been involved with theater production in London, the place he calls his spiritual home. His current project there is helping the opera
Drs. Hans Malmström, Michael Yunker, David Levy, Eli Eliav, Cyril Meyerowitz, Murray Rosenthal
– Dr. Lauren Vitkus (Ortho ‘16)
company provide employment for singers of color and to provide music education for people who live in the Brixton neighborhood, which, he explains, is similar to New York City’s Harlem. Dr. Rosenthal’s philanthropy is shared generously among the arts and education. But The Rosenthal Family Scholarship he established at his alma mater, the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, is one of the highlights of his life. The scholarship, which supports partial tuition for three students each year, honors his late father and brother Dean Rosenthal, who also earned their dental degrees there. “I was honored to receive the scholarship,” said EIOH alumna Dr. Lauren Vitkus (Ortho ’16, MS 16). “Murray’s generosity and kindness is something we can and should all try to emulate in our own lives. I have been very fortunate to remain connected to Murray all these years later. He made it a point to come up to Buffalo every year and have dinner with “his scholars” as he liked to call us. This was a fun way for us all to connect and connect with Murray, another example of him bringing people together!” Scholarship recipients describe Murray as caring, enthusiastic, supportive, kind, full of life and a valued mentor. Some have said they owe their careers to Dr. Murray Rosenthal. “His energy and passion impressed me when I first met him and it still does today,” said Dr. Vitkus. “My fondest memory is when Murray and I caught up over dinner and saw a play in New York City.” Murray describes himself as optimistic, friendly, and a raconteur, one who tells stories in a skillful and amusing
Dr. Rosenthal was surprised to see all the clinic and educational improvements made since his last visit to Eastman Institute.
way. There’s not a person who’s ever met Murray who could disagree. Whether giving lectures, sharing a meal, or providing dental treatment, he has plenty of good stories from his rich and colorful life experiences to share that are quite entertaining. Always generous with his time and treasure, Murray fell silent when asked what the best gift he ever received was.
His voice softening, he said the best gift he ever received was from his mother, who lived to almost 90 years old. She was in bed, dying, when she reached out to touch his hand. The loving words she then whispered to her first-born son will remain a cherished gift to him forevermore.
As he honors his mother and father with this gift to Eastman, he will also leave his legacy, where hundreds of residents and students will walk the Rosenthal Corridor in the years to come. What advice does he have to offer them?
“Number one, get a good medical history. Know your patient so you can get a complete diagnosis,” he started. “Then you’ll be able to treat properly for a good outcome. You want to keep the teeth because there’s nothing like having your own teeth. Get it done and do it as best as you can. “Not as fast as you can, but the best you can,” he stressed.
“Once you get to a certain point and you’re making the money, start thinking about what you can do to help others,” Dr. Rosenthal advised. “Whether it’s using your money or your time, consider that because there’s nothing more wonderful.”
A Marriage of Medicine and Dentistry
”
Rochester invested in me. I’m simply returning a dividend.”
DR. DENNIS A.CLEMENTS III ’72M (MD) AND DR. MARTHA ANN KEELS Founding Members, Wilson Society The care of children is a shared passion for Dr. Dennis A. Clements III ’72M (MD) and his wife, Dr. Martha Ann Keels. Dr. Clements, a pediatrician and global health educator, and Dr. Keels, a pediatric dentist who works with special needs children, wanted to create a legacy that would help address global health disparities. They created a special gift that included a one-time charitable donation in addition to including the University in their estate planning. Today, the pediatric dentistry clinic at Eastman Institute for Oral Health has been renovated with state-of-the-art technology updates. The couple also endowed a fund that helps medical students participate in global health initiatives in countries with health disparities. “It seemed like a great fit, marrying both dentistry and medicine,” said Dr. Keels. “Rochester is one of the few places that recognizes them as being equally important for a child’s total health.”
IMAGINE rochester.edu/together YOUR
12 #TogetherForRochesterLEGACY.
