Lionel Gold, a former faculty member in Penn Dental’s departments of oral pathology and oral surgery, passed away on December 21, 2021 from complications of heart disease. He was 97.

Born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey, Dr. Gold earned his bachelor’s degree in 1944 and his dental medicine degree in 1948, both from New York University. He completed his residency at the American Oncologic Hospital and was awarded a fellowship in oral pathology at Penn Dental Medicine in 1949. Aside from two years as a captain in the U.S. Army Dental Corps from 1952 to 1954 (during which he served in Texas and Georgia), he stayed at Penn for the next three decades. In 1950, he joined the Penn Dental faculty as an assistant instructor in oral pathology. He rose through the ranks in this department, becoming an assistant professor in 1959 and an associate professor in 1964. In 1962, Dr. Gold accepted a secondary appointment at Penn Dental, in the department of oral surgery. While at Penn, Dr. Gold was recognized for his teaching – in 1957, he won the Teacher of the Year Award from Penn’s School of Medicine.

In 1966, Dr. Gold became an adjunct professor at Penn to concentrate his energies on a new appointment at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (though he would continue to lecture at Penn until 1982). Dr. Gold made his biggest mark at Jefferson, chairing its oral and maxillofacial surgery department from 1980 until 1998 and mentoring dozens of students, many of whom remember him as an engaging, kind, and helpful mentor. “The greatest privilege I had in my life was being selected for the residency at Thomas Jefferson University under the direction of Dr Gold,” said Joseph Arcuri, a former student of Dr. Gold. “His wealth of expertise and knowledge that he imparted on generations of oral and maxillofacial surgeons will never be forgotten. Even after leaving residency, he was just a phone call away to discuss a surgical or pathology question.”

Dr. Gold also held positions at the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry and the Hahnemann University Hospital and consulted with the Naval Hospital in Philadelphia. In 2000, he won the Presidential Achievement Award from the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in recognition of his service to the field. Dr. Gold also published and lectured widely and volunteered as a surgeon with Operation Smile, an organization that repairs children’s cleft palates.

Dr. Gold is survived by his children, Nancy, Kathy, and Patti; five grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and his brother. A memorial service was held on December 23, 2021.