PFA Dental World Newsletter — May/June• 2004

Table of Contents - May/June• 2004

Dental World

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May/June• 2004

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Central Office
by Secretary/Treasurer Richard A. Kozal

Reminders: The 2004 dues are $100 U.S.

The one-time initiation fee is $150 U.S.

The total fee for a new Fellow is $250 U.S., which includes the Initiation Fee and one year’s dues.

A formal Induction Ceremony of your own tradition is recommended, such as during an appropriate dental meeting or social function.

All new Fellow certificates, pins, and ribbons will be sent to the Section Chair. Allow at least 14 to 20 days for certificate preparations.

For all awards, include full name of the recipient as it is to appear on the award. Fill out the Nomination Form completely. Include the recipient’s degree (e.g., DDS/DMD or equivalent). Provide the mailing address of the recipient so a congratulatory letter can be sent from the President of the Academy to the recipient. Allow 30 days for the award preparation and mailing.

Fellowship lists and mailing labels are available upon request. Allow a week for preparation and mailing.

Send in your event dates as soon as you arrange them so they may be entered on the Web site, published in Dental World, and appropriate officers informed for possible attendance.

The Central Office address, phone numbers, fax numbers, and e-mail addresses are always included on the last page of Dental World.

Immediate Calendar Updates

Your local event can be placed on our PFA Web site under the calendar of events. Send your detailed information to Mark Stanley and the Central Office by filling out this online Calendar event form right now, or call the Central Office for details. E-mail: RKOZAL@aol.com or contact the office via a online contact form


	George Higue Receives Special Award

	What special recognition do you give a person who has devoted his whole nine decades of life to serving his community, his alma mater, his State, his country, the Pierre Fauchard Academy, and the Pierre Fauchard Foundation? How do you honor a person who has received the highest honors from his organizations already? George Higue at work in the Foundation Treasurer’s Office But, as the passing moment is ours, here and now, what do we say? What do we do to express our deep heartfelt thanks and admiration for this humble great man? With the passing of our dental greats, most recently General Robert Shira and Foundation Executive Director Shig Kishi, our attention is drawn to a person still in our midst, still active in all the things that have shaped his life, and that have changed our world. All of us try to make this planet a better place to live. That is why we have chosen the difficult task of being dental surgeons for the public. This call to service does not usually limit itself to merely filling teeth. The call is about serving our fellow man—in dentistry, in our communities, in all our activities. George J. Higue has left giant footsteps to follow, one toe at a time. And in 90 years, that is a great many footprints. George Higue’s history of life comes in volumes, not one book. Nor can a few words on this page even begin to express all the hundreds of thousands of people he has affected in his zeal and passion for serving. The tapestry of his life is interwoven tightly into all of our own lives, whether we know it or not. George graduated from USC’s School of Dentistry and joined the Army Dental Corps during World War II. His uniform, decades later, he has donated (along with other items) to the PFA Museum where it is on display today (see picture, page 3, Dental World, May/June 2001 issue). He married the love of his life, Mary, whom he cherishes daily, carrying her photo around to show off her beauty. He is a quiet, humble man who has pushed over mountains. In 1962, George became the third Section Chair for Southern California. Under his outstanding leadership, that Section grew by 150 new Fellows. As PFA President in 1974, George added 800 new Fellows and helped establish PFA Sections internationally. With his dear friend Cliff Loader, George made PFA a world-leading dental honor organization. In 1990, the Southern California Section honored him when Dr. Rex Ingraham presented George the Section’s Distinguished Service Award. In 1994, the International Academy presented him with their highest award, the prestigious PFA Gold Medal.		George did not sit on his laurels. That is not what drives the man. He was there in 1996 when the Foundation received the Brenes-Espinach Estate. In becoming Treasurer of the PFA Foundation, he carefully invested the funds to reap a generous return, so that each year $300,000 was available to offer scholarships to dental schools all over the world and to provide money for dental projects that serve the international populous even as we read this. His talent for generating the Foundation revenue has helped hundreds of dental students and hundreds of thousands of indigents and needy in our world. George’s article in the March/April 2002 issue of Dental World expresses his philosophy of life—”Service Above Self.” George was there to step up and translate the French book on the Life and Times of Pierre Fauchard by Dr. Andre Besombes. His English version is in every dental library in the United States, Canada, and many international dental schools. He paid for it all himself. In addition to his ongoing dental practice for his patients, Dr. Higue has never forgotten the roots of his service. He has been a huge benefactor to the University of Southern California. Though he never asked for anything, he has been showered with awards from his dental school and his university. He has received their highest awards as well. The USC President’s Award came from the all-university Alumni Association in 2002. He has served as the President of the USC Alumni Association. He sponsors a huge USC Dental School Alumni Reception at the April Anaheim Meeting of the California Dental Association. In 1993, George received the USC Merit Torchbearer Award. He completed a $150,000 pledge to the dental school. He was a Board Member of their Century Club, which was formed for the advancement of the School of Dentistry. He chaired their 94th annual Alumni-Student Day in 2002 and has the Student Lounge there named after him. Last year, George was honored at their Volunteer Recognition Luncheon. Since his home already is a museum of every top award USC presents, they invented a new award just to recognize his dedication and service. George Higue at home with his many USC Awards. (Note his wife Mary’s reflection in the mirror)


	Then there are the little things George will be remembered for as well. He and Bob Ibsen brought Miss America to the New Orleans Meeting in the early 1990s. He helped raise funds for President George H. Bush and had his picture taken with him. George was always there, always putting together the details, always producing. On USC game day you can find him on the 50-yard line cheering for the Trojans. George Higue at the office with a few of his many awards. (Note the picture in the background of George squeezed between two USC Cheerleaders) As with us all, time has a way of slowing us down. George is realizing that now and has stepped down as Foundation Treasurer, though was named Treasurer emeritus. He has had to cut back his school activities due to the drive from his home. But he has other things he likes to do that he can continue with.		George and Mary love to take out their 50-foot yacht. This beautiful boat is hard to miss being parked right under his living room picture window. It is fully equipped and can serve as his own navy if need be. As George puts it, “one turn and it is straight out to sea” into the Pacific Ocean. George is well known for his participation in the annual Huntington Harbor Boat Parades and this last time was Parade Marshal. George and his boat This year the officers had debated whether one could receive the Gold Medal twice? Hall of Fame honor? But that is for past dental greats and George is not “passed” and very filled with a zest for life. So President Kevin Roach decided to present George with a Special President’s Award at the California Dental Association’s Meeting in Anaheim last April 18. It would be easy to end this article with the cliché that Dr. Higue exemplifies the term, “Let George do it.” But that would be unfair to him. George never waited to be assigned any job. George just saw it needed to be done and he did it! And God bless, he still is doing it. George outside his office in a quiet moment holding the USC President’s Award

Table of Contents - May/June• 2004

Presidents Message

2004 Calendar

PFA Web Site Sets New Record

Foundation Interim Meeting

Executive Board Meeting- All Reports

Foundation Section News

PFA Dental Museum

Section News- International

Central Office Section News- United States

George Hique

Foundation News

Kishi Fund Donors

Dental World
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