Mervyn Silverman
Mervyn F. Silverman is an American doctor and public health leader. He was San Francisco’s Director of Health from 1977 to 1985, where he directed the city’s early response to AIDS. Since 2011, he has served as Secretary of the Board of Trustees for amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. He has also held roles such as Director of Health for Wichita, Kansas; medical director of Planned Parenthood of Kansas; director of the Robert Wood Johnson AIDS Health Services Program; director of the FDA’s Office of Consumer Affairs; and director of the East Asia and Pacific Regional Medical Office for the Peace Corps.
Silverman earned a B.S. from Washington and Lee University, an M.D. from Tulane University, and an M.P.H. from Harvard School of Public Health.
On October 9, 1984, he ordered the immediate closure of fourteen bathhouses and sex clubs, saying their on-site sexual activity was helping spread AIDS. The move faced strong backlash and led to death threats, ultimately resulting in his resignation. A court later ordered the bathhouses to reopen under management-policed supervision. While at RWJ, he funded community-based programs with grants, and he testified in support of the Ryan White CARE Act, arguing for early HIV interventions and Medicaid funding to cover treatment costs. He and his wife, Deborah, have three daughters.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:33 (CET).