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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 554
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WHEREAS, The president and medical director of the Texas |
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Heart Institute in Houston, Dr. James T. Willerson, has made an |
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enduring contribution to the Lone Star State through his |
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significant achievements in the field of medicine; and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Lampasas, James Willerson went on to |
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graduate from The University of Texas at Austin and Baylor |
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College of Medicine; he was an intern, a resident, and a research |
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and clinical fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston |
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and a clinical associate at the National Institutes of Health in |
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Maryland; after returning to his home state, Dr. Willerson joined |
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The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas as |
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a professor of medicine and director of the cardiology division, |
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and from 1989 through 2000, he was the chair of the Department of |
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Internal Medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at |
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Houston; he has also served as chief of medical services at |
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Memorial Hermann Hospital and as president of The University of |
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Texas Health Science Center at Houston; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to his current roles as president |
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and medical director, Dr. Willerson is the director of |
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cardiovascular research and codirector of the Cullen |
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Cardiovascular Research Laboratories at the Texas Heart |
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Institute, and he is an adjunct professor at Baylor College of |
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Medicine and at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer |
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Center; moreover, he has established the Institute of Molecular |
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Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases and TexGen |
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Research, and he is the founder of two biotechnology companies, |
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Encysive and Volcano; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Willerson has dedicated himself to his field |
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by participating in a number of organizations, including the |
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Association of Professors of Medicine and the Institute of |
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Medicine of the National Academies; he is a former chair of the |
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Cardiovascular and Renal Study Section of the National |
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Institutes of Health, and he has served on various boards and |
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committees of the American Heart Association; he has also been |
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elected a fellow in the Royal Society of Medicine of the United |
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Kingdom, and he was named an honorary member of the cardiology |
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societies of Peru, Spain, Greece, Venezuela, and Chile; and |
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WHEREAS, Renowned for his expertise, Dr. Willerson has |
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served as a visiting professor and invited lecturer at more than |
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220 institutions worldwide, and he has edited or coedited 24 |
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textbooks, including the third edition of Cardiovascular |
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Medicine; he has published approximately 850 scientific |
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articles, and he has been active on the editorial boards for |
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several professional publications, including The New England |
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Journal of Medicine and American Journal of Cardiology; he was |
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also the longest-serving editor of Circulation, the journal of |
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the American Heart Association; and |
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WHEREAS, Recognized numerous times throughout his |
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exemplary career, Dr. Willerson has received the Distinguished |
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Scientist Award from the American College of Cardiology, the |
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Medal of Merit from the International Academy of Cardiovascular |
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Sciences, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cardiovascular |
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Research Foundation, and the Living Legend Award from the World |
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Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons; for his work with the |
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American Heart Association, he was given the Award of Merit, the |
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Distinguished Achievement and Distinguished Scientist awards, |
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and the organization's highest accolade, the Gold Heart Award; he |
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was also named a Distinguished Alumnus of Baylor College of |
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Medicine and UT Austin and an "Outstanding Teacher" at UT |
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Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and at UT Medical School at |
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Houston; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan has demonstrated an |
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unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of his fellow |
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citizens, and he may indeed reflect with great pride on the |
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positive impact he has had on the lives of others; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 81st |
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Legislature, hereby honor Dr. James T. Willerson on his notable |
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accomplishments, commend him for his work to improve the health |
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of people throughout the world, and extend to him sincere best |
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wishes for continued success and happiness; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be |
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prepared for Dr. Willerson as an expression of high regard from |
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the Texas Senate. |
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Huffman |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on April 1, 2009. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |