Bill Text: MS HC113 | 2015 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Dr. John C. Clay; commend distinguished career as medical oncologist upon his retirement.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-04-06 - Enrolled Bill Signed [HC113 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2015-HC113-Enrolled.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2015 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Representative Stringer
House Concurrent Resolution 113
(As Adopted by House and Senate)
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE DISTINGUISHED CAREER AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MEDICAL ONCOLOGIST JOHN CALVIN CLAY, M.D., UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT.
WHEREAS, Dr. John Calvin Clay of Meridian, Mississippi, a medical oncologist who has devoted forty-five years to bringing healing, comfort and hope to the countless patients treated by him, has announced his plans to retire from the practice of medicine on May 31, 2015; and
WHEREAS, the son of the late Lamar and Evelyn Clay, Dr. Clay grew up in the Collinsville community in Lauderdale County, where as a young man, he learned the value of hard work by helping in the family-owned grocery store and the importance of education from his mother, an English teacher who instilled in her children a lifelong thirst for knowledge; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Clay, a well-rounded high school athlete who also excelled in the classroom, particularly in science, graduated as one of the leaders of his class from Collinsville High School before attending East Mississippi Junior College and subsequently earning a bachelor of science degree from Mississippi State University; and
WHEREAS, in the mid-1960s, Dr. Clay began an affiliation that continues to this day with the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) in Jackson when he enrolled as a student in the medical school; and
WHEREAS, after being awarded his medical degree in 1970, Dr. Clay completed the residency program in internal medicine and a fellowship in hematology-oncology at UMMC; and
WHEREAS, highly respected by his peers as well as superiors as an intelligent, caring and dedicated clinician throughout his medical training, Dr. Clay was named Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology-Oncology within the Department of Internal Medicine at UMMC in 1975; and
WHEREAS, the following year, in order to return to his native Lauderdale County to enter into private practice in the subspecialty of oncology-hematology in Meridian, Dr. Clay's title at UMMC was changed to Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, a position he has continually held since 1976; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Clay, a Diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine and of the Subspecialty Board of Medical Oncology, has tirelessly worked to secure the future of the medical profession as an appointee to the State Board of Medical Licensure and the Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee and as an active member of a number of professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, and the Mississippi State Medical Association; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of his success as a clinician, dedication to the profession and leadership abilities, the membership of several professional societies in which Dr. Clay holds membership has chosen him to serve as president or chairman of their respective organizations, including the Southern Association of Oncology, the East Mississippi Medical Society, the Mississippi Division of the American Cancer Society, and the Section on Oncology of the Southern Medical Association; and
WHEREAS, while Dr. Clay has added immensely to the medical profession through his affiliation with UMMC and numerous prestigious organizations, perhaps the greatest, immeasurable contribution he has made as a practicing physician for 45 years has been to the untold number of individual patients and their families who, faced with the uncertainty that only a life-threatening illness can bring, have experienced his compassionate care and wisdom in determining the best course of treatment for each particular case; and
WHEREAS, although his decision to say goodbye to a thriving medical practice and the many patients whom he has loved dearly was not made lightly, Dr. Clay, a devoted supporter of MSU's Bulldogs, whether on the gridiron, hardwoods or baseball diamond, looks forward to rooting for his alma mater from the stands in Starkville all the way to the SEC championship, bowl games, the Final Four and College World Series in Omaha; and
WHEREAS, anticipating the lighter days of retirement, Dr. Clay, happily remembering many fishing outings with his dad when he was a child, most eagerly awaits the opportunity to now make new memories fishing with his precious grandchildren, Sarah and Caden, who fondly call him "Doc Doc," spending more time with his lovely wife, Beth Clay, and their sons, John and Stephen and Stephen's wife, Tabitha, and simply watching the mallards as they come and go in the stillness of the morning on the quiet lake:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend the long and distinguished career of medical oncologist John Calvin Clay, M.D., upon the occasion of his retirement from the private practice of medicine and extend to him sincerest wishes for a long and healthy retirement marked by continued success in all of his future endeavors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Dr. John Calvin Clay and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.
