Born in 1909 to Joe and Stella Silver in Steelton, Pennsylvania, I.O. was the youngest of three children. He graduated from Steelton High School in 1926, where he was the first drum major for the first-ever Steelton High School Marching Band.

I.O. attended Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA, where he met and married his wife Miriam. They were married over 64 years. He graduated from F&M in 1930, then entered Jefferson Medical College from which he graduated in 1934.

After serving a one-year internship at Jamison Memorial Hospital in New Castle, PA, he entered the U.S. Army. He served two years and was discharged as a 2nd Lieutenant.

In 1936, he became school and athletic team physician at Steelton High School and remained in that capacity for 39 years until 1986 when he was named "Dr. Emeritus" until his passing in 1994 (47 years.)

During his career in Steelton, he also made time to be Chairman of the Kiwanis Club, Chairman of the Steelton Borough Authority, Chairman of the March of Dimes Drive, President of the Technion Society, served on the Board of Directors of the Commonwealth National Bank, Physician of the Dauphin County Prison, Physician for the "Big 33" Football Classic, a member of the B'Nai Brith, President of the B'nai Brith Apartments, and owner of the "Harrisburg Caps" professional basketball team in the Eastern League. He has received a service award from the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame, has a section of Steelton named in his honor (Silver Manor), was listed in "Who's Who in America", was written up in Ripley's "Believe It Or Not", and has been the subject of many local newspaper articles.

He assisted many Steelton students with college acceptance. He rarely missed a game or practice at the high school. In addition to caring for the citizens of Central PA, he consoled, counseled and attended to thousands of athletes at Steelton and the surrounding area.

Our tribute to Dr. I.O. Silver is to try to give back something in his honor. Hopefully, in 50 years we will have caught up to what he gave us.