iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
Doctor Amarjit Singh Marwah, the first dentist of Indian heritage to practice in America, has died on January 7, just weeks before his 99th birthday.
Marwah, who was a Fulbright scholar, came to the U.S. to study pediatric dentistry in New York in 1953. He enrolled at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he received a master’s degree.
According to Dr. Rajwant Singh, founder of EcoSikh, Dr. Marwah, Singh’s uncle, attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he received a doctorate in dentistry, allowing him to practice in the United States.
Dr. Marwah arrived in Los Angeles in 1962 and joined the faculty in the School of Dentistry at the University of Southern California and opened his private practice, Dr Singh stated.
Paying rich tributes to his uncle when the latter had turned 98 last year, Dr Singh wrote: “He was the first person of color to desegregate Los Angeles’ medical professional building and lived in nearby Baldwin Hills. Dr. Marwah worked as a dentist for 50 years completely on referral, with some of his clients including Hollywood royalty like Elizabeth Taylor, as well as impoverished people whom he treated at USC’s Dental Clinic.
“Both Howard and Illinois Universities have established a special recognition for his contributions.
“Along with professionally having a very lucrative career, Dr. Marwah also always kept close touch with the community. He was active in politics and was close to a very popular Mayor Bradley of Los Angeles and held a series of high profile positions in Southern California. He was also a co-founder of the Bank of Punjab, along with Dr. Inderjit Singh of Punjab and Sindh Bank.
“Dr. Marwah is also known as the Founder of the first Sikh Gurudwara in Los Angeles in 1969. He also helped finance and support Dalip Singh Saund in the late 1950s, who was the first ever United States Congressman of South Asian descent.
“His hospitality has been legendary and innumerable needy people have been helped by him personally in USA. In addition, he has supported many humanitarian causes in Punjab. He started KK Marwah Girls College (named after his wife, Kuljit Kaur Marwah) in Faridkot, Punjab. In Mahindra College, Patiala, he helped build an auditorium in his mother in law, Kartar Kaur Sodhi’s name with matching funds. Also modernized a historical village in Punjab recently.
“Dr. Amarjit Singh Marwah has been a successful professional, a committed citizen, a dedicated Sikh, and a humanitarian who made enormous contribution to enrich the lives of many. He has been the most popular Sikh in Southern California who has hosted strangers as well many American and Indian luminaries and bollywood personalities and hosted countless fundraisers for number of causes. He is still active and is in Chardi Kala always!” he had written on LinkedIn.
Condoling the death on Facebook, Indian politician Tarlochan Singh posted: “Very sad to know that Dr. Amarjit Singh Marwah from Los Angles (USA) is no more. He was born in 1926 in Kotkapura, the then State of Faridkot. He has been a renowned Dentist in the Hollywood. A leading philanthropist who built the first Hollywood Sikh Temple in L.A. and provided help to multiple schools, colleges in Kotkapura and Patiala. I knew him for last 50 years and stayed in his Palatial House in Malibu. He was a person of International stature and hosted the likes of President Giani Zail Singh, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and many more Indian dignitaries. He was the Cultural Commissioner of L.A. & founded Mumbai- L.A. Sister Society. He also assisted in Yogi Bhajan’s movement to USA in 1967.”
(Photo courtesy: www.linkedin.com/posts/dr-rajwant-singh)