NMDA Journal Summer 2019

6 New Mexico Dental Journal, Summer 2019 Early this year I received a call from you informing me that Larry Lubar and I were to be awarded the NMDA Medal of Distinction Award. The notification of the award was a stunning revelation—an honor that I continue to believe that I do not deserve. And, the fact that I would be honored with the award along-side Larry Lubar, an honest-to- goodness dental hero and role model of mine, made the thrill even more stunning. Dale, what you may or may not know is the incredible irony that the award represents to me. An irony that I thought might be of some interest to you. While I served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Associa- tion from 1981–1986, I served under five Presidents. During those years, and for many years through the 1960s and 1970s, the most celebrated dentist in New Mexico was Ralph Lopez. Ralph was a giant of a man, not in his stature (he was but 5’6” tall), but in his leadership and contributions to the Association, and to the people of the State of New Mexico. Ralph not only served in every possible capacity for our associa- tion, including first Vice-President of the American Dental Associa- tion. He served on the Board of Dental Examiners, the NIH Dental Research Council, the New Mexico Board of Health, and the U.S. Border Commission. His list of accomplishments enumerated in the January 1986 edition of the New Mexico Dental Journal was abso- lutely breathtaking. Further, Ralph served on the Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico, and most important in my eyes, he developed the Lopez Plan, drafting a bill that was passed by the 1960 legislature, which al- lowed dental students such as me the opportunity to attend dental schools such as Baylor, Kansas City, and Tufts for in-state tuition—a precursor to the WlCHE program, Ralph’s contract school tuition pro- gram has been emulated by many other western states such as ours that haven’t any dental schools. Ralph had been honored in every way possible by his alma mater, Uni- versity of Missouri at Kansas City School of Dentistry, the American and International Colleges, the Pierre Fauchard Academy, etc., etc., etc. And, in addition, for many years Ralph served as the NMDA Legislative Chair. In those years the NMDA didn’t utilize the services of a lobbyist. Instead, Ralph, a legislature junkie, would spend many afternoons during the legislative sessions, roaming the halls and committee rooms of the State Capitol. He knew every legislator on a first name basis, and he held an Association sponsored, pre-session legislative party at his home each year that was considered the most popular get together of all of the party’s legislators were invited to attend. Those of us dentists who were fortunate enough to be invited to attend the party were pre-warned by Ralph that we were not to discuss dentistry at the party—a caveat that helped to make the party one of pure social discourse—absolutely no lobbying. This systemworked well for us for many years. In the early to mid-1980s, however, the political tide for New Mexico dentists began to change as the NM Dental Hygienists Association be- gan to push for General Supervision, and their own recognized Board. Unfortunately, Ralph’s abilities to testify before the State’s legislative committees began to falter. Ralph, like me now, was aging. His ability to keep up with the many issues facing the dentists of the state had deteriorated rather markedly…it was understood that he needed to be replaced as Legislative Chair. Unfortunately, the simple act of re- placing an icon like Ralph Lopez was proving more difficult than any could have imagined. Many New Mexico dentists who served as Presi- dent of the NMDA had been able to attend dental school at the Uni- versity of Missouri at Kansas City only after having been interviewed by Ralph Lopez, who served as the school’s state representative for the Admissions Chairman of the institution. How does one take away something like the legislative chairmanship, so loved by the dentist from the person who was responsible for one’s own acceptance into dental school? And believe me, Ralph loved his legislative chairman- ship. It was a challenge that had been discussed and passed on by more than one NMDA President. The NMDA President in 1985–86 was Ron Skinner. It was Ron who real- ized some action had to be taken. I remember that the job of finding a way to relieve Ralph of the Legislative Council chairmanship, in as kind a manner as possible, was assigned, by Ron, to me. So, I called Joe Devine of Wyoming, a long-time Trustee of our trustee district, an old friend of Ralph’s, and the then President-Elect of the American Dental Association. Our conversation was not pleasant for each of us knew that removing Ralph’s chairmanship could prove devastating to a man who was approaching the age of 80—a man that each of us loved—a man that each of us owed so much (indeed, Ralph had nominated me to Fellowship in the American College of Dentists). We ended the conversation recognizing what had to be done. We determined that we needed to honor Ralph in such a way that would be the honor of his life. A goal that was we both agreed was well- deserved. And, after much thought, I proposed to the Board of Direc- tors that Ralph be presented an award to be named the NMDA Medal of Distinction. Indeed, I had designed the medal as a Dental Caduceus superimposed upon an outline of the State of New Mexico. I created a mock-up of the medal using the caduceus from one of my Air Force THE STORY BEHIND THE NMDA MEDAL OF DISTINCTION AWARD A letter to President Dale Goad from Dr. Kirk Graham Written in 2009