Bill Text: TX HR627 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: In memory of Dr. Charles Aubrey "Mickey" LeMaistre.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Passed) 2017-03-13 - Reported enrolled [HR627 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HR627-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 627 | ||
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| WHEREAS, The life of a transformative figure in modern | ||
| medicine drew to a close with the passing of Dr. Charles Aubrey | ||
| LeMaistre on January 28, 2017, at the age of 92; and | ||
| WHEREAS, "Mickey" LeMaistre helped save countless lives | ||
| through his pioneering work in cancer prevention; he served on the | ||
| first U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory Committee on Smoking and | ||
| Health, which galvanized change in health care policy with its | ||
| landmark 1964 report identifying cigarettes as a major health | ||
| hazard; he went on to advocate powerfully against smoking as | ||
| president of the Damon Runyon-Walter Winchell Cancer Fund and as | ||
| national president of the American Cancer Society, and he chaired | ||
| the National Conference on Smoking OR Health as well as the | ||
| International Summit of Smoking Control Leaders; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In 1978, Dr. LeMaistre became president of The | ||
| University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and he held that | ||
| position until his retirement in 1996; his unique gifts as a | ||
| physician, educator, and administrator were used to masterfully | ||
| guide the center's expansion during an era of rapid evolution in | ||
| health care; among other achievements, he established an innovative | ||
| and highly influential cancer-prevention program, and his | ||
| groundbreaking work also included cost-saving outpatient services | ||
| and a multidisciplinary approach to patient care; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Born in Lockhart, Alabama, Dr. LeMaistre | ||
| demonstrated an early interest in medicine and began accompanying | ||
| two prominent Tuscaloosa physicians on house calls, even assisting | ||
| in emergency surgeries; he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves as a | ||
| student at the University of Alabama and continued to serve his | ||
| country while completing his degree at Cornell University Medical | ||
| School; after working as chief resident at New York Hospital, he | ||
| became an assistant professor of medicine at Cornell and completed | ||
| a postdoctoral research fellowship in which he collaborated on the | ||
| development of drugs for infectious diseases; he was called to | ||
| active duty by the army in 1951 as a commissioned officer senior | ||
| assistant surgeon, and following his honorable discharge, he | ||
| remained a physician on active nonmilitary duty with the United | ||
| States Public Health Service; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Dr. LeMaistre joined the faculty of Emory | ||
| University School of Medicine in the mid-1950s and rose to become | ||
| the first chair of Preventive Medicine and Community Health before | ||
| accepting a professorship at The University of Texas Southwestern | ||
| Medical School in 1959; six years later, he was appointed associate | ||
| dean of UT Southwestern, and he subsequently served the UT System as | ||
| executive vice chancellor for Health Affairs, deputy chancellor, | ||
| and chancellor-elect; he began a distinguished seven-year tenure as | ||
| system chancellor in 1971; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Over the course of his extraordinary career, | ||
| Dr. LeMaistre gave generously of his time and expertise as a member | ||
| of the board for many charitable organizations; his extensive | ||
| involvement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration | ||
| was recognized with the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal in | ||
| 1995, and his myriad accolades further included the Cornell | ||
| University Alumni Award for Distinction, the University of Alabama | ||
| School of Medicine Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the American | ||
| Cancer Society Medal of Honor; the UT System Board of Regents named | ||
| him Chancellor Emeritus, and he was an Honorary Life Trustee of the | ||
| Menninger Foundation; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Devoted to his family, Dr. LeMaistre was the father | ||
| of Dr. Charles Frederick LeMaistre, William Sydney LeMaistre, | ||
| Dr. Joyce Anne LeMaistre, and Helen LeMaistre Meyer, and he took | ||
| great pride in his six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; | ||
| he shared a fulfilling marriage of 52 years with Joyce Trapp | ||
| LeMaistre until her passing in 2003; fortunate enough to find love a | ||
| second time, he married Andreae "Andi" LeMaistre in 2005, and the | ||
| couple worked together to launch a volunteer patient advocacy | ||
| program and to support an initiative aimed at lowering the price of | ||
| cancer drugs; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Mickey LeMaistre made a profound and positive impact | ||
| in the world through his enormous achievements in medicine and | ||
| education, and his contributions will continue to resonate for | ||
| generations to come; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Dr. Charles Aubrey | ||
| "Mickey" LeMaistre and extend deepest condolences to all who mourn | ||
| his passing; 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. Mickey | ||
| LeMaistre. | ||
| Huberty | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 627 was unanimously adopted by a | ||
| rising vote of the House on March 9, 2017. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
