Dr. Sam Romano to be honored at the Madison Museum of Early Trades

The Board of Trustees of the Museum of Early Trades and Crafts will honor Madison dentist Dr. Sam Romano as its 2014 “Craftsman of the Year” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, at the museum at 9 Main St. at Green Village Road in Madison.

The event was rescheduled from an earlier date “due to unforeseen circumstances,” noted museum trustee Thomas Judd.

Romano will receive the honor at a late-lunch reception, and present a lecture tracing the evolution of dentistry from its earliest beginnings to the high-tech practice of his office today.

“We hope that many of Dr. Romano’s friends and admirers will be able to join us for this belated celebration,” Judd said. “All previously-sold tickets will be honored, and the opportunity to participate has been extended at the museum and on our website.” The museum’s website is www.metc.org.

A Madison native, Romano is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University and the New Jersey Dental School of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, and established his practice on Park Avenue in Madison in 1986.

The museum’s trustees noted that Romano practices an ancient profession that has grown and evolved with advances in medical science and technology, and such links from the past to the present are at the heart of the museum’s mission to enhance the understanding and appreciation of America’s past. The trustees concluded that Dr. Romano combines his professional knowledge with his skills as a craftsman to serve his patients.

‘Top Doc’

Romano advances his passion for dentistry with continuing education and training with leading practitioners in his field. He received the prestigious honor of Clinical Instructor at the Kois Center for Dental Excellence in Seattle, the premier post-doctoral dental teaching center in the world. He was recognized as one of “New Jersey’s Top Docs” and New Jersey Family Magazine’s favorite children’s doctors for three consecutive years.

Not content with just serving his own patients, Romano has conducted free clinics to provide preventive and restorative dental care to underserved children in New Jersey, and has traveled to Guatemala “to give children free smiles.” Many of the children he has served had never before received dental care or owned a toothbrush.

Romano summed up his approach to his life and profession: “You’ll never feel as good as when you do something for somebody else. The greatest gift is when you have what somebody else needs, and you can give it to them.”

Distinguished Honorees

The “Craftsman of the Year” award was established in 2002 as a means to honor New Jersey residents who have, in their own unique ways, significantly advanced the museum’s mission.