[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 10 (Thursday, January 25, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E93-E94]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       A TRIBUTE TO DAZELLE DEAN SIMPSON, M.D., ON HER RETIREMENT

                                 ______


                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 25, 1996

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as educator Geraldine Rickman 
stated, ``Firsts are always difficult. We don't know that things can be 
done, that dreams can be fulfilled, that great accomplishments can be 
realized, until somebody takes that first step and shows the way.'' 
Indeed, Dr. Dazelle Dean Simpson did not just take that first step, she 
blazed a trail.
  Certain endowments of temper and temperment can be attributed to Dr. 
Simpson's significant firsts. She attended Meharry medical School in 
Nashville, TN, the first medical school founded for the sole education 
of blacks. Her years there were marked by hard work and high 
intelligence, as evidenced by her selection as valedictorian of her 
M.D. class.
  Excellence in education translated into outstanding achievements 
throughout her career. Dr. Simpson has devoted 47 years to practicing 
medicine. She has accomplished a ground-breaking collection of notable 
firsts, including being the first black pediatrician in Florida, the 
first to achieve specialist certification in her specialty and the 
first black president of the Greater Miami Pediatrics Society.
  Child care and preventive medicine are areas of concern and 
commitment for Dr. Simpson. She was the first black pediatrician to 
conduct a children's clinic for the poor in Dade County. In fact, the 
Family Christian Association of America recently dedicated a new child 
development center in Buena Vista. ``Before I came here,'' Dr. Simpson 
said, ``a lot of people did not even know the word pediatrician, or why 
it was important to go to one.'' As 

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vice-chairman of the board of directors of the Miami Children's 
Hospital, she certainly has done a lot to change that.
  Even with her busy practice, Dr. Simpson has found the energy and the 
time to advance the cause of medical education. She served as the 
national president of Meharry Medical College, and was elected Alumna 
of the Year in 1975 and 1995. She is a life member of the NAACP, 
attesting to several years of continuous service.
  In addition to her professional success and community efforts, Dr. 
Simpson is a mother of three children and an active participant in her 
church. And although she is a very accomplished woman, she is modest 
and reluctant to call attention to her achievements. It is in this 
spirit that, on the occasion of her retirement, I would like to pay 
tribute to a role model, for all Americans, Dr. Dazelle Dean Simpson.

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