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AOA bestows annual awards at opening session
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BOSTON – The Opening General Session and Awards Presentation at Optometry’s Meeting took on a patriotic tone Thursday, with two honorees living their “American dream” and an inspirational keynote address by Ben Stein that extolled the virtues of this country.
Mr. Stein, known for playing the droll teacher on the cult classic movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” gave an impassioned speech about America, peppered with asides about his wife and airline jokes.
The American Optometric Association awarded Pierre LeFahler the Apollo Award for distinguished service to the visual welfare of the public. Mr. LeFahler, a freedom fighter in his native France during World War II, introduced the Varilux spectacle lens to the United States in 1967. Too ill to travel for the ceremony, his three daughters accepted the award on his behalf.
The AOA 2007 Distinguished Service Award went to Lesley L. Walls, OD, MD, who currently serves as president of the Southern California College of Optometry.
Edwin C. Marshall, OD, MPH, of Indiana was recognized as Optometrist of the Year for serving the vision needs of the community. He was the first optometrist to be elected chair of the Executive Board of the American Public Health Association. “This day is as much about public health as it is about me,” Dr. Marshall told the audience.
The AOA honored Texas OD Steve Nguyen as its Young OD of the Year. Dr. Nguyen, who became a naturalized U.S. citizen after witnessing the fall of Saigon in his native Vietnam, owns a private practice. He thanked his profession for making his comfortable lifestyle possible. “I love optometry. Optometry has allowed me to practice my chosen art,” he said, eliciting loud clapping from the audience. “Thank you all for being part of my American dream.”
Susan Henry, CPOT, was named Paraoptometric of the Year. Ms. Henry, who was the first AOA-certified paraoptometric assistant in Virginia, teaches contact lens classes as an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College.