[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 48 (Thursday, April 11, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E423-E424]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OLD DOMINION DENTAL SOCIETY

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 11, 2013

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a 
legacy of community service in the Commonwealth of Virginia and 
throughout the nation. This year, the Old Dominion Dental Society is 
celebrating its 100th anniversary, and I would like to take a moment to 
reflect on the history of this esteemed organization and its 
contributions to the Commonwealth of Virginia.
  In 1913, black dentists sought to organize into a professional 
society and these efforts resulted in the Tri-State Dental Association 
of Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, formed under the 
leadership of Dr. D. A. Ferguson of Richmond, Virginia. Five years 
later the name was changed to the Interstate Dental Association to 
accommodate growing interest from dentists around the region. 
Ultimately, in 1932, the organization's name was changed to the 
National Dental Association, and so it remains today. Since that time, 
the National Dental Association has provided over 6000 African-American 
dentists in the United States and abroad the platform and the support 
to help them succeed.
  From this history also arose the Old Dominion Dental Society. The Old 
Dominion Dental Society served as a forum for minority dentists in 
Virginia who were denied membership to the American Dental Association 
and the Virginia Dental Association. For 100 years, the Old Dominion 
Dental Society has grown and fostered professional development for the 
dental profession and brought needed services to the most vulnerable 
communities in Virginia.
  The Old Dominion Dental Society has also invested in the next 
generation of dentists through annual scholarships for underrepresented 
minorities. Through these scholarships, the Society has insured that a 
diverse group of young students will have the opportunity to excel in 
the field of dentistry. Members of the organization have been generous 
donors of their time and expertise to various state and community 
service organizations, strengthening communities and making our 
neighborhoods healthier. Motivated by the philosophy that health care 
is a born right for all people, the Old Dominion Dental Society has 
been a relentless leader in the quest for equality and equity in health 
care and today I celebrate all of the members, past and present, that 
have set an example for all of us over the past 100 years.
  There are many Old Dominion Dental Society members that have worked 
tirelessly to make the Society as successful and respected as it is 
today. I want to congratulate the members for all their achievements, 
and especially acknowledge a few: Dr. McKinley Price, Mayor of Newport 
News; the late Dr. James Holley, former Mayor of Portsmouth; the late 
Dr. Hugo Owens, former Vice Mayor of Chesapeake; Dr. Elizabeth Daniels, 
Vice Chair of Portsmouth School Board; Dr. Walter Claytor, the first 
African-American dentist to serve on the Virginia Board of Dentistry; 
and Dr. James Watkins, presently serving his fourth term as a member of 
the Virginia Board of Dentistry and the first African-American dentist 
to be president of the Virginia State Dental Board. Under their 
leadership, the Old Dominion Dental Society has and will continue to 
flourish.
  As the Old Dominion Dental Society gathers to celebrate this historic 
milestone, this organization can truly remember its past, celebrate its 
present, and focus on its future. As we continue to work to invest in 
our future, protect access to health care, and promote education, I 
praise the drive and vision of the members who make our community a 
better place to live. I would like to congratulate all of the members 
of the Old Dominion Dental Society on the occasion of its 100th 
Anniversary, and I wish them many more years of dedicated service to 
the community.

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