[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 23454]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING DR. JOHN FREIHAUT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to honor a great friend 
and a colleague in the medical profession, Dr. John Freihaut, who 
passed away just before Congress broke for the August recess.
  In addition to caring for the oral health of thousands of 11th 
District residents through his 27 years of private practice in 
Marietta, Georgia, the heart of my district, Dr. Freihaut held numerous 
positions in organized dentistry. Dr. Freihaut was a dedicated member 
of the 2007 Board of Directors of the American Dental Association's 
Political Action Committee where he insisted on attending meetings 
throughout his fight with cancer.
  John also served as the president of the Georgia Dental Association 
from 2001 to 2002 and of the Georgia Society of Oral and Maxillofacial 
Surgeons between 1996 and 1998. Dr. Freihaut was named the Northwestern 
District Dental Society's Dentist of the Year in 2005. It was on these 
committees where Dr. Freihaut created his legacy.
  Mr. Speaker, fighting for patients' rights in both State and Federal 
Government, John's dedication to his profession was unparalleled. 
During his life, John was one of the single-most significant advocates 
for the dental profession in the State of Georgia. In a State which has 
had one dentist and three physician Members of Congress, as well, of 
course, as our friend, the late Representative Dr. Charlie Norwood, and 
a recent American Dental Association president, John was still known as 
the State's dental expert and relied upon as an adviser to us all. I 
know that I sought John's expertise on several occasions throughout the 
years as I tried to make the best decisions for patients in the State 
of Georgia.
  Mr. Speaker, John was passionate about his family, his profession, 
and his responsibilities in life.
  Mr. Speaker, my thoughts and prayers go out to Dr. John Freihaut's 
family, and my thanks go to my friend, John, for his 25 years of 
dedication to improving the quality of health care in this country.

                          ____________________