TRIBUTE TO DR. HEBER SIMMONS, JR.
Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 98
(Senate - June 7, 2021) PDF
Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. Madam President, the American Academy of
Pediatric Dentists, AAPD, last month named Dr. Heber Simmons, Jr., of
Jackson, MS, as its 2021 Pediatric Dentist of the Year. I commend him
for his decades of service and for the significant contributions he has
made to the dental profession. His lifetime commitment to the specialty
of pediatric dentistry has helped advance children's health in
Mississippi and around the country. Dr. Simmons' many years of clinical
practice, his dedication to improving academic dentistry, and his
passion for public policy make him a deserving recipient of the
Pediatric Dentist of the Year honor.
Dr. Simmons received his dental degree from the University of
Tennessee and completed his pediatric dentistry training there after
serving our Nation for 3 years in the U.S. Army Dental Corps. Following
his training and military service, Dr. Simmons practiced for 57 years
in Jackson before retiring recently from active practice. His passion
and dedication have made him a national leader in dentistry, proven by
his past presidencies of the AAPD, the American Academy of Dental
Practice Administration, the Pierre Fauchard Academy, and the
Mississippi Dental Association. Furthermore, he received the AAPD
Distinguished Service Award in 1994 and the Ann Page Griffin
Humanitarian Award in 2011. For many years, he served on the Board of
Trustees of the American Dental Association, ADA, serving as a
spokesperson for the ADA from 1981 to 2019. In this role, he was
featured on nationally televised programs such as "60 Minutes" and
"Good Morning, America."
Dr. Simmons currently serves as a special consultant to the AAPD
Board of Trustees after serving as the academy's congressional liaison
since 1997. As AAPD Congressional Liaison, he helped educate Members of
Congress and their staffs concerning oral health issues for children,
testified before Congress, and served in a key leadership role in AAPD
advocacy efforts. This includes helping to allocate more than $158
million for pediatric dentistry to the title VII program at the Health
Resources and Services Administration. For this work, Heber was awarded
an AAPD Presidential Citation in 2001, and more recently, his alma
mater, the College of Dentistry at the University of Tennessee Health
Science Center, recreated an endowed professorship in his name. Last
year, at the AAPD Pediatric Oral Health Advocacy Conference, Dr.
Simmons was the keynote speaker and received another Presidential
citation in recognition of and appreciation for his tireless and
dedicated national advocacy for his profession and the oral health of
America's children.
I commend Dr. Heber Simmons, Jr., for his many accomplishments and
well-deserved recognition of his advocacy, dedication, and leadership.
My State is fortunate to have him as a leader focused on the health and
wellness of all Mississippians. I congratulate him on being recognized
for his many years of service by being named the 2021 Pediatric Dentist
of the Year.