George A. Silver, M.D., emeritus professor of public health at Yale School of Medicine and former deputy assistant secretary for health and scientific affairs for the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW), died January 7 at age 91 in Chevy Chase, Md.
At HEW, Silver’s work was instrumental in policy development and legislative recommendations in fields including manpower, as well as in child health and international health. During his tenure, the neighborhood health centers program was created and Medicaid and Medicare were established.
He served as professor of Public Health at Yale from 1969 to 1984 when he became emeritus faculty. He was also on the faculty at the Institution for Social and Policy Studies at Yale starting in 1977.
Silver served in the Army Medical Corps in Europe during World War II, helping to liberate Dachau and other concentration camps. From 1951 to 1965, he was chief of the social medicine division at Montefiore Hospital in New York.
He was a member of many medical organizations, including the World Health Organization’s expert committee on medical care. He also served as secretary of the Federation of American Scientists’ national council and was a member of the American Public Health Association and the New York Academy of Medicine.
Silver’s many awards and honors include senior membership in the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences; the Connecticut Public Health Association Winslow Medal; the National Academy of Social Insurance; and the Superior Service Medal from HEW.
Silver published many articles in professional journals and in the lay periodicals Nation and Saturday Review of Literature. He wrote book reviews and editorials on topics such as heath organization and financing, health manpower and social medicine, including child, family and community health policies.
Silver is survived by his wife of 68 years, Mitzi; three children, James, Jane and Judith Barrett; brother, Paul; sister, Mildred Granatir; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Contributions in honor of George A. Silver may be made to George Washington University School of Public Health, Health Policy Department, 2021 K St. NW, Suite 800, Washington D.C. 20006. A memorial will be held on Thursday, March 24, 2005 at 3:30pm, 1600 20th St. NW, Washington D.C.
