"Someone must teach new things, Someone must take the abuse, Someone must be ostracized, Someone must be called a fraud and a quack. Then out of all of it comes the new truth to become a part of us...Thus we receive new facts to make up our proud possession of knowledge."
	A Salute to FRED HART 1888 - 1975
Because of the National Health Federation's many successes and accomplishments over the years, it is appropriate to salute the man responsible for its birth in 1955. This visionary, is Fred Hart, NHF's first president and founder. Many years ago, Fred became frustrated, then angered, for two reasons: 1) orthodox medicine deprived him of the right to have his wife, Eva, a victim of breast cancer, treated by an alternative form of medicine - shortwave pulsed energy from an electronic device. 2) The Food and Drug Administration violated freedom of the press by declaring it illegal for health food stores to give away, lend or sell books and reprints to inform customers about their products. When breast surgery failed to cure Eva Porter Hart's cancer, Fred, discovered in 1916 that electronic therapy being performed by Albert Abrams, M.D., a brilliant and inspired medical researcher, showed strong curative possibilities. Already under fire by the American Medical Association for using electronic devices for diagnosis and treatment of cancer - although treating only "medical rejects" - Abrams was prevented from continuing his alternative practice with Eva Porter Hart and others. Abrams was branded a "quack" by the AMA and his electronic therapy "quackery," even though it was never tested for validity by his accusers. This incident festered in Hart until the early 1950s when the FDA made its ruling curtailing freedom of press in nutritional literature in health food stores. In 1955, Fred Hart's anger exploded at these deprivations of American freedom of choice and press and took the shape of a new organization, the National Health Federation, formed for people in all walks of life to oppose monopolistic trends in health and protecting the freedoms of the American people in all matters of health. Hart's declaration regarding the NHF, a non-profit California corporation, was "not to oppose medicine as a system of practice, medical physicians or the American Medical Association as an organization of practicing physicians." However, the Federation will oppose the acts of the AMA or any other association or organizations when such acts have monopolistic intent or are contrary to the best interests of the people. "It is an organization standing for the right of every individual to select the type of doctor he chooses from among the legally recognized professions of the healing arts or to select a religious practitioner, if he so chooses. It is an organization standing steadfastly against any and all forms of compulsory medication and treatment." As it did in the distant yesterday, the National Health Federation today is religiously following the format for freedom of choice in medicine and nutritional supplements set by our revered founder, Fred Hart. And Fred can rest easy, for the NHF is winning the battle for freedom. We thank him for the organization he founded and fostered. In union there is strength. Thanks to Fred Hart and the leaders since then to today, NHF is bigger, stronger, and even more determined than ever to win. Let's salute Fred Hart!