Perry Brickman, 79, of Atlanta, was doing fine at Emory University's School of Dentistry, but at the end of his first year in 1952 he got a letter saying he had flunked out. He wasn't the only Jewish student who faced discrimination between 1948 and 1961. The retired oral surgeon gathered the stories and, all these years later, Emory apologized.
Faces of discrimination —
Perry Brickman, 79, of Atlanta, was doing fine at Emory University's School of Dentistry, but at the end of his first year in 1952 he got a letter saying he had flunked out. He wasn't the only Jewish student who faced discrimination between 1948 and 1961. The retired oral surgeon gathered the stories and, all these years later, Emory apologized.
John Nowak/CNN
Norman Trieger, 83, of Larchmont, New York, wanted to stay at Emory after he finished college there, but the dental school rejected him, saying, "We don't want too many New York boys down here." He was crushed. After hearing friends' stories, which made him cringe, the oral surgeon felt he lucked out. Harvard snatched him up, and he spent 55 years, mostly in academia, helping others succeed. He died Saturday.
Faces of discrimination —
Norman Trieger, 83, of Larchmont, New York, wanted to stay at Emory after he finished college there, but the dental school rejected him, saying, "We don't want too many New York boys down here." He was crushed. After hearing friends' stories, which made him cringe, the oral surgeon felt he lucked out. Harvard snatched him up, and he spent 55 years, mostly in academia, helping others succeed. He died Saturday.
John Nowak/CNN
Harold Black, 77, of Savannah, Georgia, made it through the program in four years but didn't escape bullying by faculty. One relentless professor called him his "little black sheep." He never talked about it with his family, though. "Until Perry came to interview me, no one knew anything."
Faces of discrimination —
Harold Black, 77, of Savannah, Georgia, made it through the program in four years but didn't escape bullying by faculty. One relentless professor called him his "little black sheep." He never talked about it with his family, though. "Until Perry came to interview me, no one knew anything."
Leon Aronson, 73, also of Savannah, tried to go unnoticed -- but his roommate was targeted. The support of non-Jewish classmates helped them, and "in spite of all we went through, we got an outstanding education. Emory produced some of the finest dentists out there."
Faces of discrimination —
Leon Aronson, 73, also of Savannah, tried to go unnoticed -- but his roommate was targeted. The support of non-Jewish classmates helped them, and "in spite of all we went through, we got an outstanding education. Emory produced some of the finest dentists out there."
John Nowak/CNN
Shep Masarek, 79, of Boca Raton, Florida, flunked out after completing two years. Like many, he was told he didn't have the manual skills for dentistry, so he picked up painting to prove them wrong and won art show awards. He made a career in the pharmaceutical and medical mailing list industry.
Faces of discrimination —
Shep Masarek, 79, of Boca Raton, Florida, flunked out after completing two years. Like many, he was told he didn't have the manual skills for dentistry, so he picked up painting to prove them wrong and won art show awards. He made a career in the pharmaceutical and medical mailing list industry.
John Nowak/CNN
Larry Fall, 81, of Tampa, Florida, had completed three years of the program when he suddenly failed out. A sympathetic professor came to him, saying he could get him into medical school. But Fall had just had his first child and didn't want to start over. "I drifted into the computer business."
Faces of discrimination —
Larry Fall, 81, of Tampa, Florida, had completed three years of the program when he suddenly failed out. A sympathetic professor came to him, saying he could get him into medical school. But Fall had just had his first child and didn't want to start over. "I drifted into the computer business."
John Nowak/CNN
Larry Golsen, 75, of Alpharetta, Georgia, graduated in 1961, making him the last Jewish dental student to get his diploma during this era. The other Jewish student he started with, in a class of 80 students, was held back. Golsen made good grades but also had "an ace in the hole" that might have protected him: His wife's uncle was on Emory's board of trustees.
Faces of discrimination —
Larry Golsen, 75, of Alpharetta, Georgia, graduated in 1961, making him the last Jewish dental student to get his diploma during this era. The other Jewish student he started with, in a class of 80 students, was held back. Golsen made good grades but also had "an ace in the hole" that might have protected him: His wife's uncle was on Emory's board of trustees.
John Nowak/CNN
Ronald Goldstein, 78, of Atlanta, finished his coursework in three years. The dean wanted to know why he shouldn't be flunked out. The dean also asked, "Why do you Jews want to be dentists? You don't have it in your hands." But Goldstein, a pioneer in cosmetic dentistry, spent his fourth year doing dental work on faculty members. "I must have had good enough hands for them."
Faces of discrimination —
Ronald Goldstein, 78, of Atlanta, finished his coursework in three years. The dean wanted to know why he shouldn't be flunked out. The dean also asked, "Why do you Jews want to be dentists? You don't have it in your hands." But Goldstein, a pioneer in cosmetic dentistry, spent his fourth year doing dental work on faculty members. "I must have had good enough hands for them."
John Nowak/CNN
Eugene "Bucky" Bloom, 79, of Savannah saw an abrupt end to his dental education in 1955, two years after he started the program. Like many others, he was told he didn't have the hands for this work, so he went to medical school and became an internist-gastroenterologist. He said coming back to Emory last week helped him "gain closure in what had been a very painful part of my life."
Faces of discrimination —
Eugene "Bucky" Bloom, 79, of Savannah saw an abrupt end to his dental education in 1955, two years after he started the program. Like many others, he was told he didn't have the hands for this work, so he went to medical school and became an internist-gastroenterologist. He said coming back to Emory last week helped him "gain closure in what had been a very painful part of my life."
John Nowak/CNN