WHO IS DR. JOHNNY

“This book is ‘The Help’ and ‘The Green Book’ on steroids”!
From fighting to survive on the ice-covered continent of Antarctica to warding off the Klu Klux Klan, while fighting for the rights of all Americans, Black or White, Dr. Johnny Savage rose above the unjustified prejudices of the sixties and seventies in Atlanta, Georgia.

So, just who is Dr. John Savage?

Well, The Atlanta Constitution Newspaper stated, “NEVER GO AGAINST THE SAVAGE, A NON-POLITICIAN POLITICIAN.” This pretty much describes Dr. John Savage and his lifelong accomplishments. And this, is why we honor the life and contributions of Dr. John “Johnny” Savage for his service as a dentist, U.S. Navy veteran, Georgia state legislator, mentor, and for his dedication to family, community, and profession.

Born April 10, 1934, and raised in the back woods of Northwest Florida, Dr. Savage put himself through college and dental school at Emory University, where he served as student body president while excelling in academics and multiple athletic fields. After graduating from dental school, Johnny joined the U.S. Navy in 1961, stationed on the uninhabitable, frozen continent of Antarctica aboard the USS Glacier. The mission was called Operation Deep Freeze. Doubling as the ship’s dentist and explorer, Johnny bravely defied death and heroically survived explorations during two tours of Deep Freeze. After making historical discoveries, Dr. Savage was honored by having a glacier named after him for his exploratory accomplishments.

So, just who is Dr. John Savage?

Dr. Savage then moved to Atlanta, started a successful dental practice, received a law degree, and began a profound and politically charged life journey. In 1964, Dr. Savage served as the Republican district chairman of Atlanta for the Barry Goldwater presidential campaign, jumpstarting his political career in Atlanta, Georgia.

While building his dental profession, Dr. Savage worked endlessly and tirelessly, after hours, giving dental care to children and families who could not afford a dentist. In 1970, Dr. Savage stepped into the political arena, winning a Republican seat in the legislature in the largely Democratic district 104. His unconventional approach to politics appealed to the citizens of Atlanta as he gained a reputation for being part of the neighborhood. Dr. Savage won by campaigning on the philosophy that every person should think of themselves as an American first rather than a commitment to just one party. He became a politician working for the people and proved he was not in politics for the money but to help all the people of Atlanta regardless of their skin color or income. Dr. Savage was the only member of the legislature to publicly divulge his income, proving John Savage was not taking bribes or money from the taxpayer’s hard-earned paychecks. He also encouraged other members of the legislature to do the same. He walked with the citizens of Atlanta, talked to the people, and held monthly forums, frequently reminding his constituents that he worked for them. As a legislator, it was his duty to involve as many people as possible in the workings of the government. Committed to the people and his elected position, Johnny set up regular town hall meetings, listening, advising, and acting on behalf of his district’s needs. A hundred or more citizens showed up monthly, expressing their concerns over education, taxes, health, housing, and transportation that they felt needed the legislature’s attention.

As a Republican, Johnny Savage was a minority in the House of Representatives, but that did not stop his voice from being heard. He became a force to be reckoned with. Working among political powerhouses such as Lester Maddox, Jimmy Carter, a young Newt Gingrich, and the Martin Luther King family, he quickly built a widespread reputation among voters in both the Republican and Democratic parties. Time after time, while speaking out and putting the community of southeast Atlanta first, many bills Dr. Savage presented to the legislature passed, and those that did not pass remained on the table for future consideration. For example, the controversial fluoride bill. Dr. Savage used his expertise in dentistry to prove the districts of Atlanta that had fluoride also had healthier teeth than those that did not. When challenged by Admiral Stillwell, who claimed fluoride was being placed in the water by communists to poison the American people, Johnny quickly replied. “Did you know, did you know, Admiral Stillwell, that there is at least 1 percent fluoride in well water across the United States? This fluoride in the well water was not put there by the Communists but by God himself. After a recent visit to Amarillo, Texas, I discovered that there is, by nature, 4.5 percent fluoride in much of the well water in that great city. Now, I ask you: do you not agree that Amarillo, Texas, is one of the most patriotic cities in America today? It is certainly not poisoned nor being infiltrated by the Communist Party any more than our great state of Georgia has been infiltrated by the Communist Party. Now, If God is for fluoridated water, and it is in every well in Georgia, then how can you be against it?” The bill passed the House of Representatives and moved on to the next stage.

He called politicians out when he thought they were taking advantage of the people of Atlanta. When newly elected politicians gave themselves raises just days before being sworn in, Dr. Savage sued the city of Atlanta, taking the case to the Georgia Supreme Court and winning the lawsuit.

Dr. Savage pushed to pass a bill that would stop sales taxes on prescription drugs to help the elderly and low-income families.

Dr. Savage, with Jimmy Carter’s help, established the first movie commission for the state of Georgia.

With the help of U.S. Army veteran Senator Max Cleland, Dr. Savage passed the bill to install curve ramps throughout the city of Atlanta for disabled citizens.

Dr. Savage was instrumental in the growth of the Atlanta Hartsfield airport and pushed the bill through to allow alcohol on election day, as the Atlanta airport and tourism were losing millions of dollars during election day.

Dr. Savage was responsible for passing the bill supporting Atlanta’s subway system known as MARTA.

As a highly respected businessman in the legislature, Dr. Savage was appointed as one of thirty elite businessmen to write an entirely new charter for Atlanta. Their job was to revamp city rules on how the city was governed.

And when Dr. Savage ran for Lt. Governor against Zell Miller, Dr. Savage promised to eliminate the Lt. Governor position to save money for tax-paying citizens. When Zell Miller refused to debate Johnny Savage, Johnny put a chicken in a pen on the back of a pick-up truck, painted the name Zell on the side of the pen, and drove around the city of Atlanta announcing Zell Miller’s too chicken to debate Dr. Johnny Savage. Although Dr. Savage did not win the Lt. Governor election, Dr. Savage gained a fan base like no one had ever seen.

He was all about opening the eyes of the public to the importance of elected politicians working for the people and not for a specific party or personal agenda. After attempting to pass a bill that allowed citizens to vote freely in the primaries no matter what their registered party was, his theory was that one should be able to cross over and vote for whom they believe would be best for the citizens. The bill did not pass. But, to prove his point, Johnny Savage did something that no politician had ever done: In the next election, he qualified to run both as a Republican and a Democrat! And he won both parties! The citizens of Atlanta were behind the non-politician politician and supported his innovative ideas as he won people over from both sides of the party.

Dr. Savage served the state of Georgia well for ten years as a legislator in Atlanta’s poorest and wealthiest districts. He remained steadfast in his belief that the people were the government, not the politicians. Dr. Savage fought for civil rights and stood up to injustice. He supported his employee and longtime friend Otis Ikner, paving the way for Mr. Ikner to become America’s first Black male dental hygienist and opening the door to success for this young Black man even when Dr. Savage’s colleagues blackballed Dr. Savage for supporting a Black man. Dr. Savage served his dental patients well and was honored to have Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. (better known as Pappa King) as a patient and state representative Alveda King, among other honorable colleagues. He shared his wealth with those who needed help. Dr. Savage stood up to opposition and prejudices, never wavering from his compassion and devotion to his constituents. And, of course, he never wavered from his love for his family.

And now, today, Johnny’s extraordinary life has been documented in the five-star-reviewed book Johnny and Jazzbo. For this, we honor the man known as the non-politician politician, Dr. John “Johnny” Savage.

Dr. Savage was known for holding politicians accountable when he believed they were exploiting the people of Atlanta. When newly elected officials granted themselves raises just days before taking office, Dr. Savage acted by suing the city of Atlanta. He brought the case to the Georgia Supreme Court and emerged victorious.

Additionally, Dr. Savage advocated for a bill to eliminate sales taxes on prescription drugs to assist elderly residents and low-income families. With the support of Jimmy Carter, he established the first movie commission for the state of Georgia. Furthermore, alongside U.S. Army veteran Senator Max Cleland, Dr. Savage successfully passed legislation to install curb ramps on sidewalks throughout Atlanta for the benefit of disabled citizens.

Dr. Johnny Savage played a key role in the growth of Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport, advocating for a bill that allowed alcohol sales on election day, as the airport and the city’s tourism were losing millions during that time. He also championed the legislation supporting Atlanta’s subway system, known as MARTA.

As a highly respected businessman in the legislature, Dr. Savage was appointed as one of thirty elite members to draft a new charter for Atlanta, tasked with revamping the city’s governance rules.

During his campaign for Lieutenant Governor against Zell Miller, Dr. Savage promised to eliminate the position to save money for taxpayers. When Zell Miller declined to debate him, Dr. Savage famously drove around Atlanta with a chicken in a pen on the back of a pickup truck, painting “Zell” on the side of the pen, announcing that Zell Miller was “too chicken to debate Dr. Johnny Savage.” Although Dr. Savage did not win the election, he gained an unprecedented fanbase.

Dr. Savage was dedicated to educating the public about the importance of elected officials working for the people rather than pursuing personal or party agendas. He attempted to pass a bill that would allow citizens to vote freely in the primaries, regardless of their registered party. His belief was that voters should be able to choose the candidate they felt would best serve the citizens. Although the bill did not pass, Dr. Savage took an unconventional approach: he qualified to run as both a Republican and a Democrat in the following election—and he won in both parties! The people of Atlanta rallied behind this “non-politician politician” due to his innovative ideas and ability to appeal to both sides of the political spectrum.

Dr. Savage served Georgia effectively for ten years as a legislator, representing both affluent and impoverished districts in Atlanta. He remained firm in his conviction that the government belonged to the people, not the politicians. He fought for civil rights and stood against injustice, supporting his employee and longtime friend Otis Ikner. Dr. Savage paved the way for Ikner to become America’s first Black male dental hygienist, even in the face of opposition from his colleagues who blackballed him for supporting a Black man.

In addition to his legislative work, Dr. Savage was a devoted dental practitioner, honored to have Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. (better known as Papa King) as one of his patients. Representative Alveda King, among other honorable colleagues. He shared his wealth with those who needed help. Dr. Savage stood up to opposition and prejudices, never wavering from his compassion and devotion to his constituents. And, of course, he never wavered from his love for his family.

And now, today, Johnny’s extraordinary life has been documented in this five-star-reviewed book Johnny and Jazzbo. For this, we honor the man known as the non-politician politician, Dr. John “Johnny” Savage. In addition to his work in legislation, Dr. John “Johnny” Savage was a dedicated dental practitioner, proudly serving notable patients, including Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. (commonly known as Papa King) and representative Alveda King, among other esteemed colleagues. Dr. Savage generously shared his resources with those in need. He faced opposition and prejudice with unwavering compassion for his constituents. Above all, he remained devoted to his family.

Today, Johnny’s remarkable life is celebrated in this highly acclaimed book “Johnny and Jazzbo.” for his countless contributions, we honor the man known as the “non-politician politician,” Dr. John “Johnny” Savage.