[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 86 (Friday, June 24, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1349-E1350]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING DR. CLAUDE H. ORGAN, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 24, 2005

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life 
and achievements of Dr. Claude H. Organ, Jr., M.D. of Oakland, 
California. An internationally renowned surgeon and medical educator, 
Dr. Organ was the second African American to serve as president of

[[Page E1350]]

the American College of Surgeons. Throughout his career, he was known 
for his tireless efforts to ensure the inclusion of African Americans, 
women and other severely underrepresented minorities in the training 
and practice of surgery. Dr. Organ passed away in Oakland on June 18, 
2005 at the age of 78.
  A native Texan, Dr. Organ attended public school in Denison, Texas 
and received his B.S. degree from Xavier University in New Orleans, 
Louisiana.
  Though he was initially accepted at the University of Texas medical 
school, he did not attend after school officials discovered that he was 
black and offered to pay his expenses if he enrolled elsewhere. He 
instead chose to attend Creighton University School of Medicine in 
Omaha, Nebraska, where he received his M.D. in 1952, and where he later 
completed his surgical residency.
  After serving as a Lieutenant Commander MC in the U.S. Navy Medical 
Corps from 1957 until 1959, Dr. Organ joined the faculty of the 
department of surgery at Creighton University in 1960. There, he rose 
to the rank of professor and chair of the department, and later became 
a professor of surgery at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences 
Center, where he served from 1982 until 1988.
  Dr. Organ came to Oakland in 1989 to establish and lead the 
University of California, Davis/University of California, San Francisco 
East Bay Surgery Department. In that role, he became known for his work 
in building the department into a highly respected training program, 
and made a concerted effort to recruit and support African American 
students, particularly African American women, who were studying to 
become surgeons. Throughout his career he oversaw the training of 
dozens of surgeons, all of whom looked to him for guidance as a teacher 
and a mentor, and strived to emulate the professional and personal 
excellence that marked his career and conduct.
  While practicing medicine and educating residents, Dr. Organ also 
served as a member of a number of professional and academic medical 
associations. He was the editor of the prestigious Journal of American 
Medical Association's Archives of Surgery for 15 years, and in 1999 was 
honored by the American College of Surgeons with its highest honor, the 
Distinguished Service Award. Over the course of his career, he authored 
or co-authored more than 250 scientific articles and book chapters as 
well as five books. In addition, Dr. Organ spent many years serving as 
president of the Society of Black Academic Surgeons, president of the 
Board of Trustees of Xavier University, and as president of the Urban 
League of Omaha.
  On Wednesday, June 22, 2005, the family and friends of Dr. Claude H. 
Organ, Jr. will gather to pay tribute to his extraordinary life. In 
addition to his myriad scientific and academic contributions to the 
surgical field, Dr. Organ leaves a legacy of excellence in his 
commitment to ensuring equality of opportunity for all surgical 
students and residents. Dr. Organ's work as a healer, a teacher and a 
mentor changed countless lives, and I salute and thank him for all that 
he has given to people of the 9th Congressional District, the Bay Area 
and our country.

                          ____________________