A Renaissance man with lots of love

Deepa Bharath

Paul Silverman was a scientist with a heart.

The emeritus professor of developmental biology and cell biology

at UC Irvine was an accomplished scientist who set up the first Human

Genome Center in the country in 1987.

Silverman was born in Minneapolis in 1924. His origins were

humble. He and his five brothers and sisters had to help themselves

and their family get through the tough years of the Great Depression.

He started selling newspapers when he was 6 years old.

Even as he graduated from high school, Silverman was recognized as

a student with superior intellect. He joined the U.S. Army in the

early ‘40s. It was during that time, and during one of his visits

with his family to Chicago, that he met his wife, Nancy.

For three years, he courted her. Nancy was captivated by his big,

brown eyes and long eyelashes. The boy, who was expected to become a

“lady-killer” when he grew up, married Nancy on May 20, 1945.

Silverman’s intellect took giant leaps way ahead of his time. And

that was recognized by people all over the world.

There was no looking back. His acclaimed work included researching

a malaria vaccine. Silverman worked in the fields of parasitology,

medical entomology, epidemiology and immunology.

He held various scientific and academic administrative positions.

He was vice president of the University of New Mexico, provost of the

State University of New York, president of the University of Maine.

He became the associate chancellor of UCI in 1984.

Silverman was one of the earliest advocates of the Human Genome

Project and stem cell research. He was passionate about fostering a

dialogue between scientists and the public and sincere about making

scientific facts more intelligible and accessible to the lay person.

He was a kind-hearted man of impeccable integrity, both in science

and life. If Silverman, whose friends and colleagues usually called

him Dr. Silverman, did not have something good to say about

something, he would say nothing. So if he was quiet during a

conversation, the people who knew him understood.

On Dec. 20, 2003, Silverman received an honorary doctorate of

Humane Letters from his alma mater, Roosevelt University in Chicago.

During his commencement address to the graduates, Silverman talked

about the discrimination and anti-Semitism he faced as a young man.

“Anti-Semitism was displayed in employment notices and at hotels

and resorts,” he told the graduates.

Silverman, considered a liberal by his peers, was anti-segregation

and a staunch advocate of civil rights and social responsibilities.

He worked hard -- something that came with the territory of

sifting through facts and evidence. Even as he lay in his hospital

bed during his last days, Silverman had his laptop with him.

But he was no workaholic. He always had time for his family. He

made the time even when he was pulled in different directions.

Silverman was as passionate about art as he was about science. He

was a fan of the performing arts -- classical music, opera and

ballet.

Silverman died after a bone marrow transplant that used stem cells

from his sister, who was a compatible donor. He developed serious

complications that led to fatal heart problems.

But Silverman made a bold decision to have that transplant. He was

suffering from a blood cell disorder for several years and was tired

of receiving blood transfusions every day. .

The bone marrow transplant was successful. The complications were

unexpected.

But that just showed that Silverman had an unshakable faith in

science, similar to the faith in humanity that he never lost.