[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 50 (Tuesday, April 13, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   HONORING DR. HENRY FOSTER ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT, FOR 
 OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE STATE OF 
           TENNESSEE, AS A LEADER IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB CLEMENT

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 13, 1999

  Mr. CLEMENT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Dr. Henry W. 
Foster, Jr., on the occasion of his retirement, for forty-one years of 
service to the United States of America and the state of Tennessee, as 
a leading healthcare advocate and practitioner. Dr. Foster's entire 
professional life has been dedicated to ensuring healthy women and 
babies across the globe.
  Dr. Henry Foster has contributed tremendously to the quality of our 
national healthcare. In 1995, President William Jefferson Clinton 
nominated him for United States Surgeon General. As a fellow Tennessean 
and Member of Congress, I fully supported Dr. Foster's nomination.
  One year later, in 1996, President Clinton named him Senior Advisor 
on Teen Pregnancy Reduction and Youth Issues. That same year he was 
named an Expert Consultant to the Secretary of the Department of Health 
and Human Services and to the Director of Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention. Dr. Foster's input on the national level has been 
highly valuable to our nation's healthcare as we prepare to enter the 
21st Century.
  He graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine in 
1958. During his career he has served in the U.S. Air Force, as Chief 
OB/GYN at Tuskegee University, and as Dean and acting President of 
Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.
  Henry Foster has published over one hundred scientific articles and 
has served on numerous professional and community boards, committees 
and councils.
  Dr. Foster implemented Meharry's ``I Have a Future'' Adolescent 
Health Promotion Program in 1987. It is a year-round, comprehensive, 
community based health initiative designed to reduce the incidence of 
early sexual activity, teenage pregnancy, alcohol, tobacco and other 
substance use among adolescents, ages 10-17. The program has been 
recognized for excellence by the Tennessee House of Representatives, 
the American Medical Association, the American College of Nurse 
Midwives-Tennessee Chapter, and former President George Bush, as the 
404th Point of Light.
  Dr. Foster has been honored numerous times by peers. These awards 
include: 1982 Man of the Year Award, Music City March of Dimes Chapter; 
1992 Boss of the Year Award, Meharry Association of Office Personnel; 
1995 Nashvillian of the Year Award, The Tennessee Scene Magazine; 1996 
Drum Major for Justice, Martin Luther King Award, Southern Christian 
Leadership Council, Atlanta; 1996 Meritorious Service Award, National 
Medical Association, Obstetrics and Gynecology Section, Chicago; and 
The President's Award, from both Meharry Medical College Alumni 
Association, and Morehouse College Alumni Association, 1995.
  Dr. Henry Foster's work has not been limited to the United States. He 
has been recognized world-wide for advancement in the field of 
Obstetrics and Gynecology and has participated in healthcare events in 
Spain, Mexico, Africa, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Canada, Southeast Asia, 
England, Australia, Austria, Italy, China, Vietnam, West Indies, and 
France.
  Dr. Henry Foster has unselfishly served the citizens of the United 
States of America for over forty years and has worked tirelessly to 
improve the quality of healthcare for every woman and child. Every time 
Dr. Foster has been called on to serve his nation, he has done so 
without hesitation or reservation. His sense of duty and courage are 
exemplary. For these reasons I honor Dr. Henry Foster today. I wish him 
the best in his retirement. God bless.

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