Ever since the inauguration of the Achievement Medal Award, 77 years ago, this prestigious recognition has been awarded at Alpha Omega’s annual convention to “recipients or organizations that are outstanding for their contributions to dentistry or its allied professions.” 

The very first award was presented in 1936 to Dr. Leroy Miner, generally recognized today as the founding father of the Oral and Maxillo-facial surgery specialty.  In 1924, Dr. Miner became the first Chief of Staff of the Massachusetts General Hospital, and was also elected Dean of Harvard Dental School, where he also served as professor of Oral Surgery.  At the time of his honor, he was the only dentist to have appeared on the cover of TIME magazine.  Coincidentally, the Achievement Medal for 2011, was presented in Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Dr. Bruce Donoff, current Dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

Apart from the years of WWII (1942-44) as well as in 2006, the Achievement Medal Award has been presented every year since 1936.  Throughout the years, the award has been presented to a wide variety of individuals: educators, researchers, scientists and Nobel Prize Laureates, Israelis, and a handful of Alpha Omega’s own have been honored.  Although beneficiaries of the award are usually individuals, there have been years when organizations have been granted the Achievement Award as well:

-          In 1946: the award was presented to “The Alpha Omega Servicemen of WWII”
-          In 1953: the award was presented to the “W.K. Kellogg Foundation”
-          In 1957 and 1982: the award was presented to the “Founders of Alpha Omega”
-          In 1975: the award was presented to the “Robert Wood Johnson Foundation”
-          In 1989: the award was presented to the “Israeli Medical Corps”
-          In 1990: the award was presented to “The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery the first dental school
       in the USA.” 

1966 was a special year for this award because it was awarded to the “Hadassah Medical Organization.”  Hadassah is considered one of Alpha Omega’s own and an elite recipient of this award because of its place in history as the progenitors of Israeli’s medical and hospital systems, and its partnership with Alpha Omega in the establishment of Israel’s first Dental School, “The Hadassah School of Dental Medicine Founded by Alpha Omega at Hebrew University.”   

Other notable individuals who have been recipients of the award include: Albert Einstein, Isaac Schour, Selman Waksman, Jonas Salk, Abram Sachar, Albert Sabin, Robert Shira, Harry Sicher, Roslyn Yalow, Julius Axelrod, Gordon Christensen, and John DiBiaggio.  About a handful of Alpha Omega members have also been granted receipt of this award: Dean Myron Aisenberg (BCDS), Dean Harry Lyons (MCV), Henry Goldman, D. Walter Cohen (U of PA), Maury Massler, Ronald Goldstein, Gerald Niznick and several outstanding recipients who had previously been made Honorary Members of Alpha Omega.

The State of Israel has not been without its share of recipients.  Numbered among them are: Ino Sciaky (First Dean of Hadassah School of Dental Medicine), Ephraim Katzir, Avraham Harmon, and Yoram Dinstein. 

Now the 2012 Achievement Medal Recipient of this year, Dean Adam Stabholz, becomes the fifth among the Israeli notables to be presented with Alpha Omega’s highest award.  Dean Stabholz has greatly impacted dental education through his remarkable contributions at the Hebrew University Hadassah School of Dental medicine, founded by Alpha Omega. 

Below is a complete list of recipients of the Achievement Medal Award: