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Ajax Walter César Silveira

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Silveira, Ajax Walter César (1917–2011)

By The Brazilian White Center – UNASP

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The Brazilian White Center – UNASP is a team of teachers and students at the Brazilian Ellen G. White Research Center – UNASP at the Brazilian Adventist University, Campus Engenheiro, Coelho, SP. The team was supervised by Drs. Adolfo Semo Suárez, Renato Stencel, and Carlos Flávio Teixeira. Bruno Sales Gomes Ferreira provided technical support. The following names are of team members: Adriane Ferrari Silva, Álan Gracioto Alexandre, Allen Jair Urcia Santa Cruz, Camila Chede Amaral Lucena, Camilla Rodrigues Seixas, Daniel Fernandes Teodoro, Danillo Alfredo Rios Junior, Danilo Fauster de Souza, Débora Arana Mayer, Elvis Eli Martins Filho, Felipe Cardoso do Nascimento, Fernanda Nascimento Oliveira, Gabriel Pilon Galvani, Giovana de Castro Vaz, Guilherme Cardoso Ricardo Martins, Gustavo Costa Vieira Novaes, Ingrid Sthéfane Santos Andrade, Isabela Pimenta Gravina, Ivo Ribeiro de Carvalho, Jhoseyr Davison Voos dos Santos, João Lucas Moraes Pereira, Kalline Meira Rocha Santos, Larissa Menegazzo Nunes, Letícia Miola Figueiredo, Luan Alves Cota Mól, Lucas Almeida dos Santos, Lucas Arteaga Aquino, Lucas Dias de Melo, Matheus Brabo Peres, Mayla Magaieski Graepp, Milena Guimarães Silva, Natália Padilha Corrêa, Rafaela Lima Gouvêa, Rogel Maio Nogueira Tavares Filho, Ryan Matheus do Ouro Medeiros, Samara Souza Santos, Sergio Henrique Micael Santos, Suelen Alves de Almeida, Talita Paim Veloso de Castro, Thais Cristina Benedetti, Thaís Caroline de Almeida Lima, Vanessa Stehling Belgd, Victor Alves Pereira, Vinicios Fernandes Alencar, Vinícius Pereira Nascimento, Vitória Regina Boita da Silva, William Edward Timm, Julio Cesar Ribeiro, Ellen Deó Bortolotte, Maria Júlia dos Santos Galvani, Giovana Souto Pereira, Victor Hugo Vaz Storch, and Dinely Luana Pereira.

 

 

First Published: January 28, 2020

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Ajax Walter César Silveira was a physician, organizer and cofounder of drug/alcohol rehabilitation clinics, promoter of the “Quit Smoking 5-Day Plan,” and health field editor.

Early Life, Education, and Marriage

Ajax Walter César Silveira was born on September 4, 1917, in the city of Limeira, São Paulo.1 He was the son of Júlio César da Silveira and Aurora Santos Silveira, who had ten other children: Mauro, Osvaldo, Milton, Valdemar, Ruy, Flora (Azevedo), Raquel, Esther Daphne (Neto), Olga (Reis), and Aramita (Caio).2

Ajax grew up in Limeira, São Paulo, where he attended elementary school. He finished high school at the Rio Branco School in the city of São Paulo.3 His mother was baptized in the Adventist Church in 1930 when he was thirteen. Through her testimony, eight of her eleven children accepted the Adventist faith.4 Among these was Ajax, who was baptized in 1935 at age eighteen5 in Limeira.6 In 1943, a year after he was supposed to, he graduated in medicine from the University of São Paulo7 with the second group of students8 since he chose to not study on Saturdays.9 He also finished several specialization courses such as general surgery and gynecology.10

On December 31, 1946,11 he married Cloris Naumann da Silveira (1923-2012)12 and had three children, Juçara, Cyro, and Walter César.13 Cloris assisted her husband in the recovery of drug addicts.14 She also did volunteer work with her husband for the São Paulo Conference.15 For many years, she was an ADRA leader in São Paulo and taught hundreds of courses in the culinary arts.16

Work in the Medical Field and Involvement with the Church

After graduating, Ajax Silveira devoted about thirty years of his life to treating drug addicts. While working in rehabilitation clinics, he asked for God’s power to combine it with applied medical therapy. His work greatly impacted the city of São Paulo.17 He led over fifteen hundred courses for alcoholics and smokers, drawing an audience of approximately one hundred thousand participants.18 He also visited prisons with an evangelistic mission. These and other initiatives made him known for his involvement in programs made to assist those who were marginalized by society.19 In 1951, he was cofounder of the São Paulo Anti-Alcoholic Association and the São Paulo Alcohol and Tobacco Recovery Schools.20

Dr. Silveira contributed greatly to many projects of the SDA Church. He helped with Adventist medical missionary work on the Samaritan Launch, a missionary initiative launched by the SDA Church to help the underprivileged population of Vale do Ribeira, São Paulo.21 He served for many years as an elder for several churches, including the São Paulo Central, Brooklin, and Moema churches, in the city of São Paulo.22 In 1961, as an elder in Moema, he organized an adult literacy program held by volunteer church members. This program also offered basic lessons in mathematics, health care, history, geography, bible studies, and topics of social and moral character. The program received the support of the State Education Department.23 Still in Moema, in April 1962, he started an Alcoholics Recovery School.24 He also served as director of the Youth Society in the São Paulo Central Church.25

Between June 8-12, 1964,26 he participated in the launch of the first “Quit Smoking 5-Day Plan” course held in the city of São Paulo by Pastor R. R. Azevedo and Pastor Alcides Campolongo, who were secretaries of the Temperance Department of the South Brazil Union Conference and the São Paulo Conference respectively.27 During this period, Dr. Silveira worked in the São Paulo State Office of Health and was responsible for overseeing government programs, which he used to also market the program, “How to Quit Smoking.”28 As a result, he actively participated in the “Quit Smoking 5-Day Plan” courses in several cities in the state of São Paulo.

Commendations and Literary Work

In 1970, he was elected president of the Medical Society of Smoking Control.29 In 1971, he created and organized the Alcoholic Rehabilitation Clinic of which he was director for some time. This clinic was established in partnership with the Health and Hygiene Office of São Paulo City Hall. The clinic offered free specialized treatments for the recovery of alcoholics and smokers. During the 1970s, Dr. Silveira became internationally known after presenting his innovative methods in public health at several conventions held in France.

In recognition of his significant contribution, the International Council on Alcohol and Addictions supported by the United Nations granted him a commendation of merit.30 In 1979,31 he stood out as a Brazilian representative at the Third Congress for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Chemical Dependency held in Acapulco, Mexico, with support from the United Nations.32

In partnership with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, he was an editor in the health field for the Brazilian Publishing House from 1987-2001.33 He also authored two books, O Drama do Alcolismo (“The Drama of Alcoholism”) and O Drama do Tabagismo (“The Drama of Smoking”), which were published by the Brazilian Publishing House and used as resources for narcotics programs. In recognition of his service to the society in the state of São Paulo, he was awarded the Anchieta medal, the highest honor offered to a citizen of the city of São Paulo.34

Contribution and Legacy

Dr. Ajax Walter César Silveira retired in 1987 at age 70. He continued his lectures against smoking until 1997 while working at his “Ajax Walter” Nursing Home in the city of São Paulo. He died on November 18, 2011, at age 94 in the city of São Carlos and was buried in the city of São Paulo.35

Dr. Silveira significantly contributed to the Adventist Church in Brazil with his work in the medical field. As a health reform defender, he helped develop the “Quit Smoking 5-Day Plan” course in Brazil and cofounded the São Paulo Anti-Alcoholic Association. He dedicated over thirty years of service to the recovery of drug addicts and offered health treatments for others in need, demonstrating his full commitment to social initiatives. Because of his direct involvement with society, Dr. Silveira had the opportunity to help many people understand and accept the Adventist message.

Sources

“Ajax Walter César Silveira.” Revista Adventista. January 2012. Accessed August 10, 2016. http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.

Almendro, Laersen A. “Um Apanhado da Dedicação do Dr. Ajax Walter César Silveira em prol dos Alcoólatras.” Monography, 1990.

“Aurora Santos Silveira.” Revista Adventista. March 1958. Accessed August 10, 2016. http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.

Azevedo, E. R. “A Cada um à Sua Obra.” Revista Adventista. January 1942. Accessed August 11, 2016. http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.

Azevedo, E. R. “Atividades da Lancha Samaritana no Litoral Sul-Paulista.” Revista Adventista. December 1957. Accessed August 11, 2016. http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.

Campolongo, Alcides. “Monumental Campanha Pró-Temperança na Associação Paulista.” Revista Adventista. September 1963. Accessed August 11, 2016. http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.

Campolongo, Alcides. “Como Deixar de Fumar em Cinco Dias.” Revista Adventista, September 1964.

Diógenes Melo S. “Agradecimento.” Revista Adventista. May 1937. Accessed August 10, 2016. http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.

Nigri, M. S. “The Five-Day Plan.” South American Division Bulletin. January-June 1965. Accessed August 11, 2016. http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/SAB/SAB19650101-V41-01,02.pdf.

“Nosso Cantinho: Departamento de Educação e Missionários Voluntários.” Revista Adventista. October 1944. Accessed August 11, 2016. http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.

Oliveira, Josafá S. “Como Surgiu e se Desenvolveu o Curso ‘Como Deixar de Fumar em Cinco Dias’ no Brasil 1990.” Monography, 1990.

Pereira, J. A. Torres. “Casa Verde se Renova.” Revista Adventista. July 1971. Accessed August 11, 2016. http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.

Pinho, Orlando G. “Ciência e Religião.” Revista Adventista. December 1967. Accessed August 9, 2016. http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Accessed August 11, 2016. http://docs.adventistarchives.org/docs/YB/YB1988__B.pdf#view=fit.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Accessed August 11, 2016. http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB2002.pdf.

Silva, Guilherme. “O Caminho da Libertação.” Revista Adventista. March 2015. Accessed August 11, 2016. http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.

Steed, Ernest H. “World temperance leaders study alcohol prevention.” Review and Herald. November 1979. Accessed August 10, 2016. http://docs.adventistarchives.org/docs/RH/RH19791101-V156-44__B.pdf.

“Temperança.” Revista Adventista. September 1970. Accessed August 11, 2016. http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.

Waldvogel, Luiz. “A Igreja de Moema Alfabetizando Adultos.” Revista Adventista. August 1961. Accessed August 11, 2016. http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.

Notes

  1. Juçara Silveira, interview by author, Ellen G. White Research Center, Engenheiro Coelho, SP, September 26, 2016.↩

  2. “Aurora Santos Silveira,” Revista Adventista, March 1958, accessed August 10, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  3. Juçara Silveira, interview by author, Ellen G. White Research Center, Engenheiro Coelho, SP, September 26, 2016.↩

  4. “Aurora Santos Silveira,” Revista Adventista, March 1958, accessed August 10, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  5. “Ajax Walter César Silveira,” Revista Adventista, January 2012, accessed August 10, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  6. Juçara Silveira, interview by author, Ellen G. White Research Center, Engenheiro Coelho, SP, September 26, 2016.↩

  7. Ibid.↩

  8. “Ajax Walter César Silveira,” Revista Adventista, January 2012, accessed August 10, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  9. Orlando G. Pinho, “Ciência e Religião,” Revista Adventista, December 1967, accessed August 9, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  10. Juçara Silveira, interview by author, Ellen G. White Research Center, Engenheiro Coelho, SP, September 26, 2016.↩

  11. Ibid.↩

  12. “Aurora Santos Silveira,” Revista Adventista, March 1958, accessed August 10, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/; and Juçara Silveira, interview by author, Ellen G. White Research Center, Engenheiro Coelho, SP, September 26, 2016.↩

  13. “Ajax Walter César Silveira,” Revista Adventista, January 2012, accessed August 10, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.; and Juçara Silveira, interview by author, Ellen G. White Research Center, Engenheiro Coelho, SP, September 26, 2016.↩

  14. Melo S. Diógenes, “Agradecimento,” Revista Adventista, May 1937, accessed August 10, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  15. Orlando G. Pinho, “Ciência e Religião,” Revista Adventista, December 1967, accessed August 9, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  16. J. A. Torres Pereira, “Casa Verde se Renova,” Revista Adventista, July 1971, accessed August 11, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  17. Laersen A. Almendro, “Um Apanhado da Dedicação do Dr. Ajax Walter César Silveira em prol dos Alcoólatras,” Monography, 1990, 1.↩

  18. “Ajax Walter César Silveira,” Revista Adventista, January 2012, accessed August 10, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  19. E. R. Azevedo, “A Cada um à Sua Obra,” Revista Adventista, January 1942, accessed August 11, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  20. “Ajax Walter César Silveira,” Revista Adventista, January 2012, accessed August 10, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  21. E. R. Azevedo, “Atividades da Lancha Samaritana no Litoral Sul-Paulista,” Revista Adventista, December 1957, accessed August 11, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  22. Juçara Silveira, interview by author, Ellen G. White Research Center, Engenheiro Coelho, SP, September 26, 2016.↩

  23. Luiz Waldvogel, “A Igreja de Moema Alfabetizando Adultos,” Revista Adventista, August 1961, accessed August 11, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  24. Alcides Campolongo, “Monumental Campanha Pró-Temperança na Associação Paulista,” Revista Adventista, September 1963, accessed August 11, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  25. “Nosso Cantinho: Departamento de Educação e Missionários Voluntários,” Revista Adventista, October 1944, accessed August 11, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  26. Alcides Campolongo, “Como Deixar de Fumar em Cinco Dias,” Revista Adventista, September 1964, 17.↩

  27. M. S. Nigri, “The Five-Day Plan,” South American Division Bulletin 41, no. 1-2 (January-June 1965): 6.↩

  28. Josafá S. Oliveira, “Como Surgiu e se Desenvolveu o Curso ‘Como Deixar de Fumar em Cinco Dias’ no Brasil 1990,” Monography, 1990, 10.↩

  29. “Temperança,” Revista Adventista, September 1970, accessed August 11, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  30. “Ajax Walter César Silveira,” Revista Adventista, January 2012, accessed August 10, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  31. Ernest H. Steed, “World Temperance Leaders Study Alcohol Prevention,” Review and Herald 156, no. 44 (November 1979): 15.↩

  32. Ibid.↩

  33. Seventh-Day Adventist Yearbook, “Brazil Publishing House,” accessed August 11, 2016, http://docs.adventistarchives.org/docs/YB/YB1988__B.pdf#view=fit; and Seventh-Day Adventist Yearbook, “Brazil Publishing House,” accessed August 11, 2016, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB2002.pdf.↩

  34. “Ajax Walter César Silveira,” Revista Adventista, January 2012, accessed August 10, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.↩

  35. Juçara Silveira, interview by author, Ellen G. White Research Center, Engenheiro Coelho, SP, September 26, 2016.↩

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UNASP, The Brazilian White Center –. "Silveira, Ajax Walter César (1917–2011)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. January 28, 2020. Accessed May 08, 2025. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=9GP0.

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UNASP, The Brazilian White Center –. "Silveira, Ajax Walter César (1917–2011)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. January 28, 2020. Date of access May 08, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=9GP0.

Copy to clipboard Download Word File

UNASP, The Brazilian White Center – (2020, January 28). Silveira, Ajax Walter César (1917–2011). Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved May 08, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=9GP0.

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