Leon Goldman

Early life and education

Goldman was born to a Jewish family in 1904 in San Francisco, California, one of eleven children born to immigrants from Poland. His father, Samuel Galleorivich, changed his name to Goldman and worked in the oil industry. In 1926, he graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. In 1953, he was named vice chairman of the Department of Surgery and chairman in 1956; also in 1956, he was named associate dean of the School of Medicine where he served until 1963. Her family was from Saint Petersburg, Russia; Goldman suffered from Crohn's disease. His wife suffered from post-concussion syndrome. He was affectionately known as the "Coach" by his students.