[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 122 (Friday, October 1, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1777-E1778]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING DR. EDWARD N. BRANDT, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ERNEST J. ISTOOK, JR.

                              of oklahoma

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 30, 2004

  Mr. ISTOOK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a fellow Oklahoman who 
has served this country and his fellowman for over 40 years.
  It is not often that we are privileged to honor someone who is 
considered a Living Treasure, but today we indeed are able to do so. 
Dr. Edward N. Brandt, Jr., received the Oklahoma Health Center ``Living 
Treasures Award'' in 2002, a distinction reserved for ``Individuals Who 
Embody the Light of Compassion, Caring and Creativity in our Community, 
Schools or Work Places.'' Dr. Brandt is indeed a Living Treasure who 
has served his community, his state, and his country with tireless 
dedication, true compassion, remarkable self-effacement, and persistent 
good humor for over four decades. We are delighted to join with his 
colleagues, family and friends who are honoring him with a day of 
activities in his honor on Friday, November 12, 2004, jointly sponsored 
by the College of Public Health and the College of Medicine of the 
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma. He is also being honored by the establishment of The Edward 
N. Brandt, Jr., Student Endowment that will sustain activities Dr. 
Brandt has carried out for students over the years.
  Dr. Brandt began his affiliation with the University of Oklahoma over 
50 years ago as an undergraduate. He earned three degrees from the 
University of Oklahoma, starting in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science 
(B.S.) in Mathematics from the Norman Campus, and followed in 1960 with 
a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and in 1963 with a Doctor of Philosophy 
(Ph.D.) in Biostatistics from The University of Oklahoma Medical Center 
in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He also managed to spend time in Stillwater 
and earn a Master of Science (M.S.) in Mathematics from the Oklahoma 
State University in 1955.
  Dr. Brandt joined the faculty of the University of Oklahoma Medical 
Center in 1961, beginning as an Instructor and rising to Professor in 
the School of Medicine and School of Health. He also began his long and 
distinguished career in medical administration, serving as Associate 
Dean of the School of Medicine and as Associate Director of the Medical 
Center from 1968 to 1969.
  Dr. Brandt then left Oklahoma to become a leader in academic medicine 
and a major figure in health policy in the United States. He spent 11 
years in Texas, beginning at the University of Texas Medical Branch in 
Galveston, where he was Professor in the School of Medicine and 
Graduate School and Dean of the Graduate School from 1970 to 1974, Dean 
of Medicine from 1973 to 1976, and Executive Dean from 1976 to 1977. He 
then took over responsibility for the University of Texas System, based 
in Austin as Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs from 1977 until 1981.
  In 1981, Dr. Brandt answered the call of his country and of President 
Ronald Reagan, and went to Washington to become the senior health 
official in the Department of Health and Human Services, serving as 
Assistant Secretary for Health until 1984. In that role he was 
responsible for overseeing the development of many critical health 
policies, including the emerging problems associated with AIDS. He 
worked closely with Secretary Richard S. Schweiker and Secretary 
Margaret Heckler and with the Congress on these and other health and 
healthcare issues. Dr. Brandt was also the U.S. Representative to the 
Executive Board of the World Health Organization from 1982 until 1984.
  Dr. Brandt left his leadership position in the federal government to 
become President of The University of Maryland at Baltimore and 
Professor in the School of Medicine, where he served from 1985 until 
1989.
  Returning home to Oklahoma in 1989, Dr. Brandt has served the Health 
Sciences Center as a distinguished and well-loved member of the 
faculty. He was Executive Dean of the University of Oklahoma Medical 
College from 1989 until 1992. In 1992 he was appointed Professor of 
Health Administration and Policy in the College of Public Health, and 
since 1996 has been honored as Regents Professor. He has been the 
Director of the Center for Health Policy Research and Development since 
1992 and was Chair of the Department of Health Administration and 
Policy in the College of Public Health from 2000 until 2002.
  Dr. Brandt has remained a central figure in health policy in this 
country. He has been an active member and often the Chair of some 160 
major health committees, task forces, and boards, including at least 88 
national, 44 state, and 30 local ones. These include positions such as 
Member of the Board of Regents of the National Library of Medicine from 
1985 to 1989, Chairman (1987-89) and Member of the Governing Council of 
the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences (1986-
91), and Vice-Chairman (1987-91) and Chairman of the Medical Schools 
Section of the American Medical Association (1979-81). He has been a 
leader in the state of Oklahoma with the Oklahoma State Medical 
Association, serving as a Member of the House of Delegates since 1992 
and Chair of the Council on State Legislation and Regulation. He has 
been a long-time Chair of the Oklahoma State Trauma System Advisory 
Board.
  Dr. Brandt has received some 82 substantial awards during his career. 
They include the Outstanding Alumni Service Award for ``Outstanding 
Contribution in Academic Medicine,'' from the Alumni Association of the 
University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in 1997, the first such 
award ever given. In 1981 he was elected to membership in the Institute 
of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and was also named 
``Territorial Marshal'' by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma. In 
1984 he received the Distinguished Leadership Award, Department of 
Health and Human Services, and in 1987, the Distinguished Public 
Service Award, U.S. Department of Defense, both of which were the 
highest awards made by those Departments. In 1989 the National AIDS 
Fund established the Edward N. Brandt, Jr. Award in his honor. In 1994 
he was elected as Fellow for ``Leadership in Academic Medicine and 
Public Health, and for Outstanding Service in the Federal Government'' 
by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He received 
the 1997 Leadership Award for ``Extraordinary Service and Leadership in 
Injury Prevention'' from the National Center for Injury Prevention and 
Control and the Joan K. Leavitt Outstanding Achievement Award from the 
Oklahoma Hospital Association. He was recognized by the National 
Institutes of Health Office of Research in Women's Health with the 
``Visionary in Women's Health Award'' in 2000 and by the University of 
Oklahoma with the ``Golden Scalpel'' Award for Contributions to Trauma 
Care in 2001, and was selected to be a ``National Associate'' of the 
National Academy of Sciences also in 2001. This year he was elected as 
Fellow for ``Leadership in Academic Medicine and Public Health, and for 
Outstanding Service in

[[Page E1778]]

the Federal Government'' by the American Association for the 
Advancement of Science and is to be honored as a Distinguished Alumnus 
of the College of Arts & Sciences of the University of Oklahoma in 
2005.
  In addition to his many professional accomplishments, Dr. Brandt and 
his wife of 51 years, Patricia Lawson Brandt, raised three sons, 
Patrick James, Edward III, and Rex Carlin Brandt. They have four 
grandchildren, Rex Carlin Brandt, Jr., Jeremy Scott Brandt, Justin 
Schwartz and Karina Schwartz.
  This Fall, Dr. Brandt will ``retire.'' In fact, he has become Regents 
Professor Emeritus and continues to teach, advise students and 
otherwise remain active in many activities of the University of 
Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. I am pleased to join with the citizens 
of the great state of Oklahoma and of this nation in thanking and 
recognizing Dr. Edward N. Brandt, Jr., for his long service and many 
contributions to our society. We are proud to have a gentleman, 
scholar, and citizen of his caliber in our midst.

                          ____________________