Our dental community lost a giant with the passing of Dr. Melvin Robert Lund on October 3, 2024, just two weeks shy of his 102nd birthday. Known affectionately as “Pug,” Mel had prominent dental education careers at two universities and held memberships or leadership positions in more than thirteen national dental organizations including the Academy of Operative Dentistry and the American Academy of Gold Foil Operators. He was a founding member of the American Board of Operative Dentistry and one of the board’s long-time examiners. He was also one of the longest serving reviewers for the journal Operative Dentistry. At the time of his passing, he was the oldest active member of the professional academies and dental associations where he held membership. His influence extended around the dental education world as co-author of three of the four textbook editions of Operative Dentistry and three editions of Textbook of Operative...
