[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 68 (Thursday, April 26, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E880]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO KOUICHI R. TANAKA, M.D., M.A.C.P.

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JANE HARMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 26, 2007

  Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize Dr. Kouichi R. 
Tanaka for his important contributions to the field of medicine and 
medical education.
  Dr. Tanaka was born in Fresno, California where he lived on a grape 
farm with his parents and three siblings. In July, 1942, he and his 
family were placed in an internment camp in Poston, Arizona. Despite 
the lack of books and appropriate educational facilities, Dr. Tanaka 
pursued his dream of becoming a physician.
  He would go on to earn a Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine 
degree with high distinction from Wayne State University, serve in the 
United States Army, and become a resident in medicine and fellow in 
pathology and hematology.
  Dr. Tanaka began his academic career at the UCLA School of Medicine 
in 1957 and joined the faculty at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in 1961 as 
chief of the Division of Hematology. He would also serve as associate 
chair of the Department of Medicine, acting chair of the Department of 
Medicine, director of the Hematology Research Laboratory, program 
director, Professor of Medicine, and playa key role in training over 
450 internal medicine physicians during the past 46 years. In addition, 
Dr. Tanaka has written nearly 300 research publications, leading to 
important contributions in the study of erythrocyte metabolism and to 
the understanding of hemolytic disorders.
  Dr. Tanaka has received many awards and held many positions of 
distinction. He was President of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical 
Society at Wayne State University School of Medicine and founding 
associate editor of the American Journal of Hematology. He was awarded 
the Distinguished Alumni Award from Wayne State University School of 
Medicine; the Sherman M. Mellinkoff Faculty Award at the David Geffen 
School of Medicine at UCLA; and the Laureate Award of the American 
College of Physicians Southern California Region 1. He is the first 
Japanese American elected to the American Society for Clinical 
Investigation and the Association of American Physicians. He was ACP 
Governor for Southern California Region I, was awarded Mastership in 
the American College of Physicians, and was presented with the 1999 
UCLA Medical Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award. In 2004, 
he was selected to the inaugural class of ``LA BioMed Legends''.
  Madam Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to share how proud I am 
to have Dr. Tanaka working in my district's most important biomedical 
research institute, the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at 
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

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