D. Walter Cohen, DDS
Philadelphia born and bred, Dr. D. Walter Cohen attended the University of Pennsylvania undergraduate school and earned his D.D.S. from its School of Dental Medicine in 1950. Following a Research Fellowship in Pathology and Periodontics at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, he returned to Penn as assistant instructor in the Dental School. During his 35-year career there, he established the school’s department of periodontics and served as its first chairman; rose to the rank of Professor of Periodontics, and served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs before becoming Dean.
He is widely credited with revitalizing the school’s educational program during his tenure as Dean from 1972 to 1983 by establishing a preceptor model of education, introducing new courses, recruiting a new faculty and establishing a residency described in his book: Educating the Dentist of the Future: The Pennsylvania Experiment.
Dr. Cohen continues to practice and teach in addition to his responsibilities as an administrator. His constant search for knowledge has made him a prominent member of the scientific community with 22 books and more than 100 published articles to his credit.
Dr. Cohen resigned the Deanship in 1983 to pursue other academic challenges. He subsequently spent a year as the first Presidential Scholar at the University of California at San Francisco. In 1986 the D. Walter Cohen and Betty A. Cohen Professor and Chair in Periodontal Research was dedicated at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He serves as Dean-Emeritus of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.
After becoming President of the Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1986, he opened a new educational campus with the addition of the 15-acre property at Queen Lane. In 1993, Dr. Cohen became Chancellor of the Medical College of Pennsylvania. Recognition of Dr. Cohen’s contributions have come in the form of numerous awards and honors from all over the world including honorary degrees from Boston University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the University of Athens, the Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg, and the University of Detroit. He received the Gold Medal from the American Academy of Periodontology and was only the third American to earn honorary membership in the British Society of Periodontology. In 1982, the French government bestowed its Legion of Merit Award upon Dr. Cohen in recognition of his significant contributions to dental education in France. In 1990 Ambassador Walter Annenberg endowed the D. Walter Cohen Professorship and Chair in Periodontics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. He chaired the Pennsylvania Diabetes Academy and served as President of the National Museum of American Jewish History and is a member of the Board of the Jewish Publication Society. On June 1, 1997, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem dedicated the D. Walter Cohen, D.D.S. Middle East Center for Dental Education in Israel. In 1998, Dr. Cohen became Chancellor-Emeritus of Drexel University College of Medicine. He serves on the Board of Trustee, Drexel University College of Medicine (PHEC), Philadelphia University, Gratz College, National Disease Research Interchange, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Philly Pops, and the Hadassah Medical Organization.