79R11061 JNC-D

By:  Delisi                                                       H.R. No. 982



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, A loving family and good friends celebrate the life 
of eminent psychiatrist, humanities scholar, and author Dr. Harry 
A. Wilmer II, who passed away in Salado on March 13, 2005, at the age 
of 88; and
	WHEREAS, Born March 5, 1917, in New Orleans, Dr. Wilmer had an 
unlimited thirst for knowledge, and he earned a B.A., an M.B., a 
Ph.D., and an M.D. from the University of Minnesota; and
	WHEREAS, His storied and distinguished career in the 
diagnosis and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral 
disorders included serving as an intern in the U.S. Navy Gorgas 
Hospital in the Panama Canal Zone, as a National Research Council 
Fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and as a fellow in internal 
medicine and neuropsychiatry and a staff psychiatrist at Mayo 
Clinic; and
	WHEREAS, Dr. Wilmer also held the distinction of serving as 
the first psychiatrist at the Palo Alto Medical Clinic in 
California and held a notable tenure as an associate professor of 
medicine at Stanford University; and
	WHEREAS, At Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland, California, 
he introduced the practice of group therapy to North America while 
serving as a captain in the U.S. Navy; his important innovation was 
documented in the scholarly work Social Psychiatry in Action and 
depicted in a 1961 Emmy-nominated docudrama, "People Need People"; 
and
	WHEREAS, Dr. Wilmer was passionately progressive in noble 
pursuits to improve the human condition; he employed his genius and 
innovation to address many of society's most pressing issues, 
including prison reform and drug abuse; and
	WHEREAS, A man of remarkable ideas and action, he served as 
senior staff psychiatrist at Scott & White Clinic in Temple, 
performed pioneering work on the effects of post-traumatic stress 
disorder on Vietnam veterans, and developed training for AIDS 
caregivers as a professor of psychiatry at The University of Texas 
Health Science Center at San Antonio; and
	WHEREAS, After retiring from The University of Texas, this 
acclaimed Jungian analyst established the Institute for Humanities 
at Salado, where he summoned educators, scholars, and artists to 
conduct workshops and expand universal knowledge for the betterment 
of mankind; and
	WHEREAS, Dr. Wilmer became a beloved and important fixture in 
the Salado community; in his leisure time, he often enjoyed a round 
of golf, but with a fishing pole in tow in case he discovered a 
perfect spot to stop along the banks of Salado Creek to fish and 
while away a sunny afternoon; and
	WHEREAS, Harry Wilmer was a professional of great talent and 
wisdom; he will be deeply missed by all who knew him, but his 
contributions in the field of mental health will continue to have a 
positive effect in countless lives for years to come; now, 
therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby honor the life of Harry A. Wilmer II and extend 
deepest sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Jane 
Harris Wilmer; to his children, John Wilmer, Tom and Beth Wilmer, 
Jim and Linda Wilmer, and Mary Wilmer Mills and Peter Mills; to his 
daughter-in-law, Lynn Wilmer; to his five grandchildren and four 
step-grandchildren; and to his other relatives and many friends; 
and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of 
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Dr. Harry 
A. Wilmer II.