H.C.R. No. 97
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, On February 3, 1995, Dr. James L. Sweatt III was
1-2 installed as president of the Dallas County Medical Society (DCMS)
1-3 and this special recognition is richly deserved; and
1-4 WHEREAS, The son of professional educators, Dr. Sweatt was a
1-5 national honor society scholar in high school and was influenced as
1-6 a young man by an adage in the black community that there are only
1-7 four true professions--teaching, preaching, law, and medicine;
1-8 gathering inspiration from an uncle and two cousins who were
1-9 physicians, he chose at an early age to follow them into the
1-10 medical profession; and
1-11 WHEREAS, Attending Vermont's Middlebury College on a
1-12 scholarship, he was accepted to the Washington University School of
1-13 Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1958 and broke racial barriers
1-14 by becoming the first African-American to gain admittance to the
1-15 university and the first to graduate from its rigorous program,
1-16 despite the stubborn obstacles posed by the racial climate of the
1-17 era; and
1-18 WHEREAS, In 1962 he married the former Mary Lois Hudson, who
1-19 holds a master's degree in modern dance and currently runs a
1-20 successful dance studio and is the sister of State Representative
1-21 Samuel W. Hudson III; together the pair have enjoyed a happy and
1-22 rewarding marriage that has produced four accomplished children,
1-23 James IV, Alisa, Mary Elizabeth, and William, who is pursuing his
1-24 father's path as a medical student at Johns Hopkins University; and
2-1 WHEREAS, Following his internship, Dr. Sweatt fulfilled his
2-2 military obligation as a flight surgeon at Sheppard Air Force Base
2-3 and completed his residency in general surgery at the University of
2-4 Colorado Medical Center in Denver before returning to Dallas; and
2-5 WHEREAS, This esteemed surgeon has since applied his skills
2-6 with characteristic determination to the practice of thoracic
2-7 surgery at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and
2-8 Parkland Memorial Hospital, winning the respect and admiration of
2-9 his peers for his mastery of this complex field of specialization;
2-10 and
2-11 WHEREAS, For two decades, Dr. Sweatt also has shared his
2-12 considerable expertise with his professional colleagues in the
2-13 DCMS, holding a variety of demanding leadership positions that have
2-14 included chairmanship of the board of censors and membership on the
2-15 group's board of directors; most recently, in his role as
2-16 president-elect of the society, he volunteered to present brief
2-17 messages about general health topics on radio station KKDA; and
2-18 WHEREAS, Dr. Sweatt's remarkable career has been
2-19 distinguished by a number of "firsts"; in addition to pioneering
2-20 the way for African-American students at his alma mater, he also is
2-21 the first African-American to serve as president of the DCMS and
2-22 was the first African-American to serve on the board of directors
2-23 at Parkland Memorial Hospital; and
2-24 WHEREAS, This distinguished gentleman has given generously of
2-25 his time to benefit his community over the years, garnering
2-26 appreciation for his many contributions to others as a ruling elder
2-27 and committee chairman at St. Luke Presbyterian Church, as a board
3-1 member of Grace Presbyterian Village in Oak Cliff, as a participant
3-2 in the Dr. Emmett J. Conrad Leadership Program, and as a lifetime
3-3 member of the PTA; and
3-4 WHEREAS, Other notable organizations that have benefited
3-5 greatly from his commitment include the board of directors of the
3-6 Texas Medical Political Action Committee and the C. V. Roman
3-7 Society, of which he is a past president; and
3-8 WHEREAS, A consummate medical professional who is a
3-9 recognized leader in his field as well as his community, Dr. Sweatt
3-10 assumes his new responsibilities as president of the DCMS with the
3-11 overwhelming endorsement of his friends and colleagues and will
3-12 undoubtedly provide outstanding direction to this worthy
3-13 organization throughout the coming year; now, therefore, be it
3-14 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
3-15 hereby congratulate Dr. James L. Sweatt III on his installation as
3-16 the 1995 president of the Dallas County Medical Society and extend
3-17 sincere best wishes to him for his continued success and happiness;
3-18 and, be it further
3-19 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-20 prepared for Dr. Sweatt as an expression of highest regard by the
3-21 Legislature of the State of Texas.