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