Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Summer 2021 - 35

People in Orthodontics
2021 PCSO Honorees
2021 PCSO Arthur A. Dugoni Lifetime
Achievement Honoree
Dr. Gerald (Jerry) Nelson
Dr. Gerald (Jerry) Nelson was born in Oakland,
California, on May 8, 1941. His parents, Carl
and Violetta, met and married in Oakland and
proceeded to have four boys, moving to Mill
Valley in the process. Jerry was the third of four.
Luckily for him, when he was 10 years old, they
moved to Castro Valley. The family's dentist,
Dr. Tom Pursiano, encouraged Jerry to consider
orthodontics as a specialty, something Tom had
always thought would be rewarding. Jerry was
inspired. Before 1970, you could apply for dental
school with 120 units of undergraduate work.
Once accepted to the University of California,
San Francisco (UCSF) in 1961, Jerry applied for the
orthodontic certificate program Curriculum II,
which awarded the specialty certificate within
the dental school. Faculty included Eugene West,
Don Poulton, Bill Paden, Rodney Mathews, and
George Payne. His classmates included Earl
Johnson, Jim Duffin, Jack Rosser, Ken Takeda,
and John Jones.
Graduation occurred in 1965, during the Vietnam
War. Jerry and his classmate Earl Johnson
joined the U.S. Air Force, E.J. stationed in
Germany and Jerry in Athens, Greece, taking
over that clinic from Bob Scholz. He and Bob
worked together for six months before Bob was
discharged. After being in Greece for two and
a half years, Jerry returned to Berkeley, where
he bought Dr. Wayne Watson's practice after a
period of mentorship. Wayne was the editor of
the PCSO Bulletin and later became the AJODO
editor. After five years of solo practice, the
recent UCSF graduate, Dr. Michael Meyer, joined
the practice. A 40+ year partnership followed,
increased by the addition of Dr. Paul Kasrovi.
Jerry formed a second partnership in Tiburon
with Earl Johnson.
Jerry was appointed PCSO editor-in-chief in 1992.
This began a growing involvement in association
work with the PCSO, AAO, and AJO-DO. He became
the AJO-DO Clinician's Corner Editor in 1994
and continued until 2013. Mike Meyer and Jerry
founded the French language version of the AJODO.
In 2004, he became a delegate for the PCSO
Delegation to the AAO House of Delegates.
For more than 20 years, Jerry taught and served
in several key positions in the UCSF Orthodontic
Program. Doctors who were part of his private
practice were also teaching, including Mike Meyer,
Andrew Trosien, Paul Kasrovi, David Johnson,
and Nancy Ung.
Several awards have come his way. In 1988, Jerry
became an ABO diplomate; in 2002, he was honored
with the PCSO Award of Merit; in 2007, he
was the PCSO Annual Session Honoree; in 2010,
the California Association of Orthodontists honored
him with the Distinguished Service Award;
in 2015, the AJO-DO recognized Jerry for having
co-authored more than 100 articles; in 2017, the
EH Angle Research Prize was given to Jerry and his
co-authors; and in 2019, he was the Angle Society
Biennial Session Honoree.
He has lectured internationally, most frequently
in Korea, where he is part of a research group.
Named lectures included the University of Washington
Alton Moore Lecture in 2014 and the AAO
Mershon Lecture in 2015.
Jerry encourages everyone to explore working
with our specialty organizations, local to national.
It is a true privilege and rewarding experience.
He encourages members to consider becoming
involved and meeting some of the remarkable
individuals involved, both orthodontists and
association staff.
Comments from Dr. Jerry Nelson on Receiving the
2021 PCSO Arthur A. Dugoni Lifetime Achievement
Award
I am very honored and grateful to receive the 2021
PCSO Arthur A. Dugoni Lifetime Achievement
honoree at this in-person Annual Session of the
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists.
My orthodontic career has been varied and richly
rewarding. I had practices in partnership with
Summer 2021 PCSO Bulletin
35
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Summer 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Summer 2021
