[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18123-18124]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 18123]]

                       TRIBUTE TO DR. MILO FRITZ

 Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, Alaska lost one of its true 
pioneers when Dr. Milo Fritz died at his home in Anchor Point at the 
age of 91.
  One of America's pre-eminent eye, ear, nose, and throat surgeons, 
Milo treated patients throughout Alaska. Dr. Fritz came to Alaska 60 
years ago. With his wife Betsy, a nurse by his side, he began a 
practice that took him into almost every remote community of our 
State--to areas where there were no doctors, no clinics, no health care 
facilities of any kind.
  The area he served covered almost a quarter of our State's 586,000 
square miles, from Anchorage northeast to the Canadian border near Fort 
Yukon, west to Bettles and Huslia, south to Anvik and Shageluk, and 
east again over the Chugach Mountains to Anchorage.
  Dozens of villages in that vast expanse would never have seen a 
doctor if Milo Fritz had not traveled by dog sled or small boat, or 
piloted his own single-engine airplane, because in that region there 
were no health-care facilities.
  A command surgeon for the 11th Air force in World War II, Milo spent 
much of his service time in Alaska. After the war, and a brief sojourn 
in New York, he and Betsy returned to Alaska at the request of our 
then-territory's commissioner of health to investigate problems of 
blindness and deafness among children in Alaska Native communities.
  Sterilizing his surgical instruments in boiling water heated on a 
portable stove he carried with him, Dr. Fritz performed tonsillectomies 
and sometimes, in the absence of a dentist, even had to extract 
infected teeth.
  He specialized in treating otitis-media, a terrible and common 
disease among Alaskan rural children.
  He wrote this brief account of one of his typical visits, this one in 
the village of Allakaket, which rests on the Arctic Circle in the 
foothills of the Brooks Range:

       In Allakaket, we operated in a log community hall and slept 
     in the schoolteacher's quarters. In this village we did 22 T 
     and A's (combined removal of tonsils and adenoids), five 
     tonsillectomies, extracted a few teeth, and prescribed two 
     pairs of glasses.
       We took one night off and in my airplane went into the 
     wilderness into a heavenly spot called Selby Lake, where we 
     fished for grayling and lake trout amid majestic surroundings 
     that were as simple and beautiful and unspoiled as they must 
     have been on the seventh day (a reference to the biblical 
     account of creation).

  After our territory of Alaska became the 49th State, Dr. Fritz took 
advantage of an opportunity to bring the health problems he encountered 
to the attention of State government, and ran successfully for the 
Alaska State legislature. in the 1960s and early in the 1970s he 
represented Anchorage in our State house. In 1982 he represented the 
Kenai Peninsula. I had the privilege to serve with him from 1966 to 
1968.
  Just as he was a perfectionist in the practice of medicine, Dr. Fritz 
was a stickler for fair and thorough legislative practices. I remember 
Milo came to the Alaska House of Representatives at 5:30 a.m.--so he 
could read and analyze each bill before the regular session started. 
Milo had a commitment to the processes of democracy that few people 
share or understand.
  At the time of his death, a family member said:

       He was a skilled practitioner of the healing arts; a patron 
     of the arts; humanitarian; solon; diligent inquirer into the 
     mysteries of jurisprudence and its philosophy; a student of 
     the legislative process; stern foe or hypocrisy and deceit; 
     physician in the true tradition of Hippocrates and Saint 
     Luke; and friend. Milo would want people to know that he 
     tried.

  Mr. President, Milo Fritz's contributions to Alaska and Alaskans over 
almost three generations are far more than those of a man who just 
``tried.'' He left a legacy of caring and hard work and love of people 
and of his profession that will be hard to match.
  He gave his all, over and over again, whether in a distant village or 
in his office in Anchorage, and Juneau and Anchor Point. I was not only 
fortunate to serve with him in our legislature, I was also one of his 
patients. so I know first had of the excellence with which he 
accomplished whatever task was before him.
  Flags in Alaska flew at half staff last week to honor the memory of 
Dr. Milo Fritz, a great Alaska physician, legislator, and pioneer. A 
great man.
  To Betsy, his wife of 63 years, and his son Jonathan, we extend our 
deepest sympathy. I, too, Mr. President, have lost a friend.
  Mr. President, I ask that the articles about Dr. Fritz's life and 
death which appeared in the Kenai Peninsula Clarion, and the Anchorage 
Daily News on September 8th and 9th respectively, and editor Bill 
Tobin's tribute in the ``voice of the times'' column on September 10th, 
be printed in the Record.
  The material follows:

             [From the Anchorage Daily News, Sept. 8, 2000]

                         Doctor, 91, a Pioneer


             fritz worked with deaf, blind in alaska's bush

                            (By Jon Little)

       SOLDOTNA.--Milo Fritz, a former state legislator and 
     pioneering physician who dedicated much of his life to 
     healing deaf and blind children in the Alaska Bush, died Aug. 
     31 at his home in Anchor Point. He was 91.
       Gracious, direct and with a razor wit, Fritz was an 
     institution on the Southern Kenai Peninsula.
       He was an eye, ear and throat specialist who treated 
     thousands of Alaskans over the years, among them Sen. Ted 
     Stevens, friends and family say. He briefly set up practices 
     on Park Avenue in New York, said Elizabeth Fritz, has wife of 
     63 years.
       But Fritz's career path took a more meaning route, 
     following his heart to villages across Alaska.
       ``So many of the Native children were going blind and deaf 
     for lack of medical care,'' she said.
       Gov. Tony Knowles ordered state flags lowered through the 
     end of the workday today in Fritz's memory. The governor's 
     office recounted Fritz's career in detail:
       He was born in Pittsfield, Mass., on Aug. 5, 1909, and came 
     to Alaska in 1940 to set up a practice in Ketchikan. He was 
     soon drawn away by World War II, serving in the Army Air 
     Corps beginning in 1941.
       When asked where he wanted to serve, Fritz replied Alaska 
     and was sent back to the state where he'd already set up a 
     practice. He went across the state, helping soldiers. He rose 
     to the rank of command surgeon for the 11th Air force.
       According to the governor's office, Fritz won commendations 
     for rescuing a pilot from a plane crash on Mount Redoubt and 
     another pilot from a burning plane at Elmendorf Air Base.
       After the war; Fritz went to New York, but in 1947 he was 
     called back by the then Alaska commissioner of health to 
     investigate blindness among Alaska Native children.
       Fritz was elected to the Legislature in 1966 and again in 
     1972 to represent Anchorage in the state House. After moving 
     to Anchor Point, he was elected to a third term in 1982.
       Janet Helen Gamble, has long-time receptionist, described 
     Fritz as a missionary. ``Sometimes he got paid, sometimes he 
     didn't, because he really was not interested in money. He was 
     interested in people's health, how he could make people see 
     better.''
       Fritz and his wife retired to the house they bought in 
     1949, where the scenery hasn't changed much over the decades. 
     ``We see nothing man-made from our windows in the summer 
     unless a ship goes by,'' Elizabeth Fritz said. ``It was the 
     perfect place to end our lives and do things we'd put aside 
     all these years.''
       He is remembered by his family as, ``a skilled practitioner 
     of the healing arts'' as well as a humanitarian and a 
     ``diligent inquirer into the mysteries of jurisprudence and 
     its philosophy'' and a ``stern foe of hypocrisy and deceit.''
       In addition to his wife of 63 years, Fritz is survived by 
     his son Jonathan, also of Anchor Point. No memorial service 
     is planned, in accordance with his wishes.
                                  ____


      [From the Voice of the Times, Anchorage, AK, Sept. 10, 2000]

                             Passing Parade

                            (By Bill Tobin)

       The death of Dr. Milo Fritz at his Anchor Point home a week 
     ago Thursday took from the Alaska scene a pioneer eye doctor 
     and bush pilot who was part of another era--a time in Alaska 
     when the Legislature was populated by people who had lives 
     outside of politics. Service in Juneau, back in those days, 
     was a part-time affair. Fishermen served and went back to 
     their boats. Physicians served, and went back to practices. 
     Druggists served, and went back to their stores. Real estate 
     agents served and went back to the job of selling houses. Dr. 
     Fritz, a long-time Anchorage eye surgeon who was 91 at the 
     time of his death, was a Republican member of both the House 
     and the Senate during his years in politics. He won 
     international fame for the many years of service he provided 
     as a medical circuit rider on countless trips to remote 
     villages throughout rural Alaska. He learned to fly on the

[[Page 18124]]

     G.I. Bill, after service as a major in World War II, and 
     piloted his own plane on his medical missionary work.
                                  ____


           [From the Kenai Peninsula Clarion, Sept. 8, 2000]

                          Milo H. Fritz, M.D.

       Dr. Milo H. Fritz died at his home in Anchor Point on 
     Thursday, Aug. 31, 2000, after a brief illness. He was 91.
       No memorial service is planned in accordance with his 
     wishes.
       Born in Pittsfield, Mass., on Aug. 25, 1909, Fritz studied 
     medicine and became a specialist in eyes, ears, nose and 
     throat medicine. He came to Alaska in 1940 to set up a 
     practice in Ketchikan, but was soon drawn away by the war. He 
     served in the Army Air Corps beginning in 1941 and rose to 
     the rank of command surgeon for the 11th Air Force. He spent 
     many of his war years in Alaska, including service in 
     Anchorage and Adak, and received commendations for rescuing a 
     pilot from a plane crash on Mount Redoubt and another pilot 
     from a burning plane at Elmendorf Air Base.
       After the war, Fritz set up a practice in New York, but in 
     1947 he was called back by the then-Alaska Commissioner of 
     Health to investigate blindness among Alaska Native children. 
     Fritz again made Alaska his home, and his desire to address 
     health problems in Alaska eventually drew him to the Alaska 
     Legislature. Fritz was elected in 1966 and again in 1972 to 
     represent Anchorage in the state House, and, after moving to 
     Anchor Point, he was elected to a third term in 1982, 
     representing the Kenai Peninsula.
       ``(He was) a skilled practitioner of the healing arts; 
     patron of the arts; humanitarian; solon; diligent inquirer 
     into the mysteries of jurisprudence and its philosophy; a 
     student of the legislative process; stern foe of hypocrisy 
     and deceit; physician in the true tradition of Hippocrates 
     and St. Luke; and friend,'' his family said. ``Milo would 
     want people to know that he tried.''
       He was preceded in death by his son, Pieter, in 1977.
       Fritz is survived by his wife of 63 years, Elizabeth, and 
     son, Jonathan, both of Anchor Point.
       In recognition of his services to the people of Alaska, 
     Gov. Tony Knowles has ordered state flags lowered through the 
     end of the workday today in memory of the former legislator 
     and pioneer.

                          ____________________