--- title: HR 688. Savage, Dr. John "Johnny"; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr688 cite_as: HR 688, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr688 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr688.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr688/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71573 date: 2025-03-21 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr687.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr689.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr688.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 688 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-21 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Matthew Gambill - Mitchell Scoggins - Martin Momtahan - Joseph Gullett - Danny Mathis - Gerald Greene text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR688/2025 upstream_id: 2012807 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - commendation resolution - Georgia House of Representatives - military service - dentistry --- # HR 688. Savage, Dr. John "Johnny"; commend ## Text 25 LC 112 3218 House Resolution 688 By: Representatives Gambill of the 15th, Scoggins of the 14th, Momtahan of the 17th, Gullett of the 19th, Mathis of the 133rd, and others A RESOLUTION Commending Dr. John "Johnny" Savage; and for other purposes.1 WHEREAS, Dr. John "Johnny" Savage has lived a life dedicated to service, leadership, and2 mentorship and has devoted innumerable hours of his time, talents, and energy to his fellow3 citizens; and4 WHEREAS, born on April 16, 1934, Dr. Savage graduated from Emor y Dental School in5 1959 and began a distinguished career in dentistry, later servi ng his community in Ebro,6 Florida, where he continued practicing until the age of 89 and often provided pro bono7 services to patients in need; and8 WHEREAS, he honorably served in the United States Navy Dental C orps, beginning his9 career in Jacksonville, Florida, before requesting a global assignment, which led him to serve10 aboard the USS Glacier during Operation Deep Freeze, a mission providing logistical a nd11 research support in Antarctica, where a glacier was later named in his honor; and12 WHEREAS, Dr. Savage demonstrated his commitment to public servi ce as a three-term13 member of the Georgia House of Representatives from Fulton Coun ty, serving once as a14 H. R. 688 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3218 Democrat and twice as a Republican, and he further pursued lead ership by running as the15 Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia in 1974; and16 WHEREAS, a passionate mentor, Dr. Savage played an instrumental role in the career of17 Otis "Jazzbo" Ikner, who became the first Black male dental hygienist in the United States,18 a remarkable story he later chronicled in his book, Johnny and Jazzbo: A True Story; and19 WHEREAS, throughout his life, he has exhibited courage and selflessness even in the face20 of imminent danger, including saving a man from a sinking car; and21 WHEREAS, through his devotion, patience, and understanding, he has provided strong and22 loving support for his family, which includes his beloved mother, Mildred; his sister, Nora;23 and his son, Mark; and24 WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this remarkab le individual be25 appropriately honored.26 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that27 the members of this body commend Dr. John "Johnny" Savage for his unselfish, dedicated,28 and loving service to the members of his family, community, sta te, and nation as well as29 extend their most sincere best wishes for continued health and happiness.30 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized31 and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Dr.32 John "Johnny" Savage.33 H. R. 688 - 2 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution honors Dr. John "Johnny" Savage, a former state representative, Navy dentist, and mentor, for his decades of public service and community work. ### Plain-language summary This is a commendation resolution passed by the Georgia House of Representatives honoring Dr. John "Johnny" Savage. It recounts his life story: his career as a dentist starting in 1959, his service in the United States Navy Dental Corps including a mission to Antarctica aboard the USS Glacier, and his three terms as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from Fulton County. It also notes his 1974 run as the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia and his mentorship of Otis "Jazzbo" Ikner, the first Black male dental hygienist in the United States. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It formally commends Savage for his service to his family, community, state, and nation, and directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to him. ### What it does - Formally commends Dr. John "Johnny" Savage for his service to his family, community, state, and nation. - Recites biographical facts about his dental career, Navy service, and time in the Georgia House of Representatives. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Dr. Savage. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement, as is typical for a commendation resolution. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors Dr. John "Johnny" Savage and references his family members, including his mother, sister, and son. It has no legal effect on any other group of Georgians. ### Why it matters The resolution carries symbolic and ceremonial weight rather than legal consequence. It creates an official public record from the Georgia House of Representatives recognizing one individual's career in dentistry, military service, and state politics. ### Key provisions - The resolving clause commends Dr. Savage for his service to his family, community, state, and nation and wishes him continued health and happiness. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a copy available for distribution to Dr. Savage. - The whereas clauses detail his dental career, Navy Dental Corps service aboard the USS Glacier during Operation Deep Freeze, and his three terms in the Georgia House. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-21) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-21) - Sponsors: Matthew Gambill, Mitchell Scoggins, Martin Momtahan, Joseph Gullett, Danny Mathis, Gerald Greene - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71573 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr688.md?full=1