By Hudson H.R. No. 303
74R6435 SRD-F
R E S O L U T I O N
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 and varsity quarterback in high
1-6 school and was influenced as a young man by an adage in the black
1-7 community that there are only four true professions--teaching,
1-8 preaching, law, and medicine; gathering inspiration from an uncle
1-9 and two cousins who were physicians, he chose at an early age to
1-10 follow them into the 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 from Mills College and
1-20 currently runs a successful dance studio and is the sister of our
1-21 esteemed colleague, State Representative Samuel W. Hudson III;
1-22 together the pair have enjoyed a happy and rewarding marriage that
1-23 has produced four accomplished children, James IV, Alisa, Mary
1-24 Elizabeth, and William, who is pursuing his father's path as a
2-1 medical student at Johns Hopkins University; and
2-2 WHEREAS, Following his internship, Dr. Sweatt fulfilled his
2-3 military obligation as a flight surgeon at Sheppard Air Force Base
2-4 and completed his residency in general surgery at the University of
2-5 Colorado Medical Center in Denver before returning to Dallas; and
2-6 WHEREAS, This esteemed surgeon has since applied his skills
2-7 with characteristic determination to the practice of thoracic
2-8 surgery at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and
2-9 Parkland Memorial Hospital, winning the respect and admiration of
2-10 his peers for his mastery of this complex field of specialization;
2-11 and
2-12 WHEREAS, For two decades, Dr. Sweatt also has shared his
2-13 considerable expertise with his professional colleagues in the
2-14 DCMS, holding a variety of demanding leadership positions that have
2-15 included chairmanship of the board of censors and membership on the
2-16 group's board of directors; most recently, in his role as
2-17 president-elect of the society, he volunteered to present brief
2-18 messages about general health topics on radio station KKDA; and
2-19 WHEREAS, Dr. Sweatt's remarkable career has been
2-20 distinguished by a number of "firsts"; in addition to pioneering
2-21 the way for African-American students at his alma mater, he also is
2-22 the first African American to serve as president of the DCMS and
2-23 was the first African American to serve on the board of directors
2-24 at Parkland Memorial Hospital; and
2-25 WHEREAS, This distinguished gentleman has given generously of
2-26 his time to benefit his community over the years, garnering
2-27 appreciation for his many contributions to others as a ruling elder
3-1 and committee chairman at St. Luke Presbyterian Church, as a board
3-2 member of Grace Presbyterian Village in Oak Cliff, as a participant
3-3 in the Dr. Emmett J. Conrad Leadership Program, and as a lifetime
3-4 member of the PTA; and
3-5 WHEREAS, Other notable organizations that have benefited
3-6 greatly from his commitment include the board of directors of the
3-7 Texas Medical Political Action Committee and the C. V. Roman
3-8 Society, of which he is a past president; and
3-9 WHEREAS, A consummate medical professional who is a
3-10 recognized leader in his field as well as his community, Dr. Sweatt
3-11 assumes his new responsibilities as president of the DCMS with the
3-12 overwhelming endorsement of his friends and colleagues and will
3-13 undoubtedly provide outstanding direction to this worthy
3-14 organization throughout the coming year; now, therefore, be it
3-15 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
3-16 Legislature hereby congratulate Dr. James L. Sweatt III on his
3-17 installation as the 1995 president of the Dallas County Medical
3-18 Society and extend sincere best wishes to him for his continued
3-19 success and happiness; and, be it further
3-20 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-21 prepared for Dr. Sweatt as an expression of highest regard by the
3-22 Texas House of Representatives.