PFA Section Chair Bill Goodman addressing the ODA Foundation

The ODA Foundation's Mobile Dental Care bus

ODA President-Elect Krista Jones, ADA President Kathleen Roth, PFA President William Winspear and ODA President Pamela Low at the Foundation Reception

President WilliamWinspear introducesODA President Pamela Low to PFA President-elect James Englander at PFA Breakfast

ODA President-elect Krista Jones receiving the PFA Award from 2006 recipient Frank Miranda

Chair William Goodman inducts new Fellows into membership

ODA Centennial State Meeting at the Cox Convention Center

PFA President William Winspear presents PFA Achievement Plaque to ODA President Pamela Low

PFA President William Winspear charming ADA President Kathleen Ross with Wisconsin neighbor PFA President-elect James Englander

President Winspear addressing the attending crowd with ODA President Pamela Low

PFA dignitaries: L-R, President-Elect James Englander, Vice President Charles Eller, Trustee Steve Hedlund, sculptor Gary Gardner, President William Winspear, Past President Howard Mark, Secretary General Richard Kozal, and accountant Dan Jonkers [background]

President Winspear and Pamela Low unveil the Pierre Fauchard statue

President Winspear charms ODA Vice President Jandra Ward and ADA President Kathleen Roth

Past PFA President Raymond Klein, ACD's International President

Site of the Oklahoma City bombing

Bill and his women: L-R, Carol Englander, Gloria Eller, Chris Hedlund, Judy Kozal, Shirley Brophy, Sheila Mark, and Ellena Jonkers

Congresswoman Mary Fallin toasting ODA with President Pam Low

The state of Oklahoma is the 46th star on the U.S. Flag. The area was organized in 1890 as the Oklahoma Territory and then merged with the neighboring Indian Territory. In 1907 it was admitted into the Union. This is their 100th year as part of the United States of America.

Oklahoma City was settled in 1889. Being centrally located in the state, it became the capital of Oklahoma. The city itself has about a half-million residents.

Oklahoma City was the site of the first organized dental meeting on 6 May 1891. The Oklahoma Dental Association headquarters is located here, as is the Oklahoma University School of Dentistry. This was the site of the PFA Management Team Meeting on 29 April 2007.

All the PFA Officers participated in the gala festivities and enjoyed the outstanding hospitality of the dentists of Oklahoma celebrating their 100th Year.

Oklahoma Dental Foundation

The first evening we attended the Oklahoma Dental Foundation for Research and Education's Appreciation Reception at a local dining place, Rocky's, in the Bricktown area just adjacent to the Cox Convention Center and the headquarters RenaissanceHotel. Bricktown was a revitalized area of Oklahoma City distinguished for its Oklahoma red clay bricks. Now some 32 restaurants (including Oklahoman Mickey Mantle's famous restaurant across the street from the baseball stadium), a minor league baseball stadium, a theater complex, and other attractions have enticed residents and tourists back downtown.

Oklahoma PFA Section

Early the nextmorning beganwith theOklahomaPFA Section's Annual Breakfast hosted by our gracious PFA Section Chairman, William Goodman. The well-attended breakfast welcomed new Fellows Drs. Jeff David Baggett, Leon Bragg, James Farley, Gary Gardner, Lisa Grimes, Wes Lucas, Richard L.Miller, Terry J. Schreiner, and Susan Settle into their Section. Their Foundation Scholarship Award was presented to OU dental student Randi Hobbs, the class Treasurer, by Fellow Frank Miranda. He also presented the PFA Student Achievement Award to the ASDA student President Brett Leemaster.

Their Section's Distinguished Service Award went toODA President-elect Dr. Krista M. Jones, the ACD Section Chair. Past 2006 recipient Frank Miranda performed the honors.

Dignitaries were introduced: all the PFA International Officers, all the ODA attending Officers, the ACD International President H. Ray Klein (past PFA President, 1991- 1992), OU College of Dentistry Dean Steve Young, ODA Executive Director Dana Davis, and PFA International President William Winspear, who gave the featured address.

Centennial Convention Opening Session

This event was followed by attending the Opening Session of the Oklahoma Dental Association. ODA President Pamela Low was Master of Ceremonies. PFA Fellow Frank Miranda was presented with the 2007 ODA Dentist of the Year Award. Dr. Miranda has served on the ODA House of Delegates for 16 years, and on the Editorial Board for the ODA Journal for 22 years. He is Past President of the Oklahoma County Dental Society. In 1991 he created the OU College of Dentistry's magazine Oklahoma Dentistry and has served as its Editor for 13 years. He has served for 17 years as the Faculty Advisor for the Good Shepherd Mission Dental Clinic. State Governor Henry Bellmon presented Dr. Miranda with the ''Contributor to the State of Excellence Award.'' Dr. Miranda is in his 22nd year serving on the faculty of OU, where he has been honored many times with awards.

The Robert K. Winn Award for Dental Education and Public Information was presented to PFA Fellow Lisa Grimes for her service to the ODA Mobile Dental Clinic Program.

The ODA James Saddoris Lifetime of Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Dean Robertson. PFA Fellow Jim Saddoris, recently deceased, was active with the PFA as well as being a past ADA President. ADA President Kathleen Roth welcomed the members. Our PFA International President William Winspear addressed the ODA Opening Session. He presented the PFA Recognition Plaque to ODA President Pamela Low to commemorate the Centennial of the ODA.

Miss America Lauren Nelson of Lawton, Oklahoma, was introduced. She is an undergraduate student at the University of Central Oklahoma. She is the National Goodwill Ambassador for the Children'sMiracle Network. Her personal platformis ''Be NetSmart.Protecting Kids Online.'' Miss America Lauren Nelson wowwed those visiting the exhibitions. She assisted in cutting the Centennial cake in the midst of the crowded technical Cox Exhibition Hall.

Dental School Tour

Lunch was with the ODA Past Presidents followed by a tour of the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry.

ODA's Pierre Fauchard

We then took the shuttle bus out to tour the new headquarters of the Oklahoma Dental Association and participated in the unveiling of the life-size statue of Pierre Fauchard prominently displayed at the entrance of their office building. The statue was well executed by PFA Fellow Gary Gardner, past ODA President (1976-77). ODA President Pamela Low, ADA President Kathleen Roth, and PFA President WilliamWinspear gave the dedication speeches. (Bill's third speech just that day.) The ODA Centennial Convention Program devoted a page to President Winspear's attendance at the dedication. The sculptor Dr. Gary Gardner discussed the evolvement of the ODA Pierre Fauchard statue, copies of which can be secured with a $1400 contribution. A reception and tour of the headquarters preceded the unveiling. Our President charmed everyone attending, especially the women dignitaries who fell in love with his ''down under'' accent.

Oklahoma's ACD Section

Saturday we attended the ACDAnnual Breakfast, whose chief speaker was their ACD International President H. Raymond Klein, a PFA Past President (1991-1992) and immediate Past Chairman of the Hall of Fame Committee. ODA President- elect Krista Jones is the ACD Section Chair. ADA Delegate Pat Blanton of Dallas addressed the morning's throng.

Cowboy Hall of Fame

Our Secretary General Richard A. Kozal led our group on the hotel shuttle to the Cowboy Hall of Fame.

Membership is the Life Blood of all organizations. Sign up your outstanding classmate, associate, mentor, for our crusade against dental povery in the world.

Oklahoma City Bombing

Then some of our entourage were able to attend the ICD Annual Luncheon upon return. On our own, many of us walked down to the site of the Federal Building bombing. At the site, Past President Howard and Sheila Mark and Editor Jim and Shirley Brophy took the test and were sworn in as National Park Junior Service Rangers.

ODA Sailing into the Future

That evening all the PFA Officers and their spouses gathered together to attend the ODA Centennial Gala Reception and President's Dinner celebrating the 100 years of the founding of the ODA. Their theme was ''ODA Sailing into the Second Century.'' The banquet hall was filled with sailboats. The newly elected ODA Officers for 2007-2008 were sworn in by ADA Delegate Dr. Jerome Miller. Congresswoman Mary Fallin (R-OK) gave the champagne toast.