The Honorable Thomas M. Davis III
Congressman from Virginia, United States House of Representatives

On November 17, 2002, Dr. John W. Boettjer, 33°, G.C. (l.), Managing Editor of the Scottish Rite Journal, presented Ill. David Kruger, 33°, then S.G.I.G. in Virginia, a copy, mounted in gold on a walnut plaque, of a tribute to Ill. Kruger as printed in the Congressional Record of September 19, 2002 (Vol. 148, No. 119). Photo: Ill. George A. Page, 33°

Mr. DAVIS: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. David Kruger, an outstanding citizen of Alexandria, Virginia, who, for over half a century, has served his community and humanity in many ways.

His downtown Alexandria optometry office is a local landmark patronized by a wide clientele. In fact, Dr. Kruger was among the first healthcare professionals to open his office in a past era of discrimination to clients of every economic or social status and ethnicity. He is universally recognized as a leader in nearly every community cause and is honored by a caricature in an Alexandria restaurant as a leading citizen.

Active in a variety of civic causes in Alexandria, he is especially noted for his support of and leadership roles in such community groups as the Red Cross, Boy Scouts, United Givers Fund, Kiwanis (President 1960), and the Salvation Army.

A man who embraces all religious traditions, he was one of the founders of a group called Men of All Faiths, which for many years held well-attended lunchtime meetings where civic leaders shared fellowship and heard presentations by pastors, rabbis, and other religious leaders in Alexandria. In his own faith tradition, Dr. Kruger served as Vice President of Temple Beth El in Alexandria for nine years and was active in the Conference of Christians and Jews.

Similarly, he has served many other community groups with distinction. Among them are the Alexandria Board of Health (Secretary), the Alexandria Hospital, the Community Welfare Council, Tuberculosis Association, Boys Club, and Family Services.

Caring for children and students is a hallmark of Dr. David Kruger's life. Working through the RiteCare Program (formerly titled Childhood Lan-guage Disorders Program) of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, S.J., U.S.A., headquartered in the District of Columbia, Dr. Kruger has led the development of a network of six clinics or clinical programs in Virginia. These facilities evaluated or treated 1,246 children in the last period, 1999- 2000, of official record. Without his leadership of this program, these children would almost certainly have gone untreated. Most recently, David Kruger spearheaded the PACES Mobile clinic, a satellite service of the Scottish Rite clinic at Radford University. Similarly, he has been instrumental in establishing scholarships to train Speech Language Pathologists and related clinical professionals at James Madison University in Harrisonburg and Old Dominion University in Norfolk. A large majority of the graduates of these programs remain in Virginia and provide clinical services to children throughout the Old Dominion State.

Ill. David Kruger, 33°, took the opportunity of Scottish Rite Appreciation Day, July 10, 2002, to visit with the children of the Summer Language Clinic sponsored by the Scottish Rite Brethren of Virginia at Radford University every year. Photo: Lora L. Gordon, Radford University

Community service is also a strong aspect of David Kruger's membership in the Grand Lodge of Virginia, A.F.&A.M., where he has been a member of Norfolk Lodge No. 1 for over 50 years, and of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Valley of Alexandria, since 1946. In 1991, the Grand Lodge of Virginia awarded Dr. Kruger one of its highest honors, the John Blair Medal for Distinguished Service. Also, the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, S.J., USA, has honored David Kruger for his many services to community, state, and nation. He was invested a Knight Commander Court of Honour in 1953 and Inspector General Honorary 1963. After serving as President of the Scottish Rite Con-ference of Virginia in 1975, Dr. Kruger became the head (Sovereign Grand Inspector General) of Scottish Rite Freemasonry in Virginia in 1985 (13,343 members in 2002). Then, in 1989, he became Grand Secretary General of the Supreme Council, 33°, S.J., USA (369,474 members in 2002 in 35 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico).

In this influential role, he has been central to guiding the development of 161 clinics, centers, or programs throughout the United States. During each year of the two-year period ending December 31, 2000, a total of 57,413 children with language and learning differences received evaluation or therapy. Left untreated, these children would have been permanently handicapped throughout their lives.

Dr. Kruger's service has even gone beyond Virginia and the United States to Canada where he is an Honorary Member of the Supreme Council of Canada and the Supreme Council of the International Order of DeMolay, a Masonic youth group for young men.

At age 80, as he concludes his service in the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, due to statutory limitation, other awards and honors still accumulate to recognize David Kruger's continuing role in bettering the lives of many thousands of children and fellow citizens. David Kruger will never retire from these roles. Given his long record and deep sense of civic, religious, and philanthropic involvement, every American, Mr. Chairman, will continue to be enriched by the life and service of this notable Virginian and American.