By Jones of Lubbock                                  H.C.R. No. 258
         77R13984 MMS-D                           
                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-1           WHEREAS, Dr. O. Wayne Isom, a native of West Texas and now
 1-2     department chairman at New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, has
 1-3     built an international reputation as a cardiothoracic surgeon and
 1-4     leads one of the most respected heart surgery programs in the
 1-5     country; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, Born and raised on his family's farm near Idalou,
 1-7     some 10 miles east of Lubbock, Dr. Isom attended Texas Tech
 1-8     University and graduated from The University of Texas Southwestern
 1-9     Medical School; after completing his residency at Parkland Hospital
1-10     in Dallas, Dr. Isom joined the faculty of New York University,
1-11     where he trained with fellow Texan and noted cardiothoracic surgeon
1-12     Dr. Frank Spencer; and
1-13           WHEREAS, Since 1985, when he moved to Weill Medical College
1-14     of Cornell University to become chairman of the cardiothoracic
1-15     surgery department, Dr. Isom has overseen more than 20,000
1-16     open-heart procedures; presently his team does about 1,500
1-17     operations a year, and he personally performs some 300 operations
1-18     annually; and
1-19           WHEREAS, Among the throng of patients who have had the great
1-20     good fortune to be treated by Dr. Isom have been a number of
1-21     celebrities, including talk-show host David Letterman, who
1-22     underwent a quintuple bypass; other well-known individuals have
1-23     included violinist Isaac Stern, news anchor Walter Cronkite, and
1-24     talk-show hosts Larry King and Jack Paar; and
 2-1           WHEREAS, A soft-spoken, unassuming man who inspires
 2-2     confidence in his patients and who is quick to share credit with
 2-3     the staff around him, Dr. Isom speaks appreciatively of the West
 2-4     Texas environment and values that shaped him; and
 2-5           WHEREAS, The State of Texas can take tremendous pride in
 2-6     having figured in the development of a man of such graciousness and
 2-7     extraordinary ability, and it is truly a pleasure to honor this
 2-8     distinguished surgeon and native son; now, therefore, be it
 2-9           RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-10     hereby pay tribute to Dr. O. Wayne Isom and extend to him sincere
2-11     best wishes for the years ahead; and, be it further
2-12           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-13     prepared for Dr. Isom as an expression of high regard by the Texas
2-14     House of Representatives and Senate.