[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 110 (Wednesday, July 11, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO JOHN R. HOGNESS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 11, 2007

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, the City of Seattle and our Nation 
recently lost one of the great leaders in the field of medicine, Dr. 
John R. Hogness, a friend, colleague, and constituent. Dr. Hogness 
contributed to the common good throughout his 85 years of life.
  John wasn't merely a community asset, although he was that; John was 
a national treasure and we shall miss him.
  Dr. Hogness served with distinction as the first president of the 
Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.
  Under John's leadership, the Institute grew to become a trusted, 
independent voice, at times courageous, at times bold, but always fair 
and forward thinking. The high standards Dr. Hogness applied to himself 
always became trademarks of the organizations he led. And he led some 
of America's best institutions, including the University of Washington.
  Dr. John Hogness served as a president of the University of 
Washington, dean of the medical school, and vice president for medical 
affairs. The UW is an internationally acclaimed institution today, in 
part, because of the significant contributions made by Dr. John 
Hogness.
  He never forgot his roots as a medical doctor and never forgot that 
medicine is about healing the pain and suffering of people.
  Throughout his distinguished career, John believed that academia had 
a role and responsibility to champion the common good, and so Dr. 
Hogness long advocated for a national health plan because he believed 
that everyone had a right to receive medical treatment.
  John was just as comfortable filling in for a rural medical doctor in 
Omak who wanted to take a vacation as he was creating a new department 
of bioengineering at the University of Washington. Of course, he 
excelled at both, drawing on his intellect, sense of humor, modesty and 
commitment to public service.
  While this may not be your stereotypical academic, it defines Dr. 
John Hogness. From time to time, John might have been out of step with 
the status quo, but he was never out of touch with the people medicine 
was intended to help, or the medical advances that could save more 
lives and ease more suffering.
  John once remarked that he was most proud of his role in creating an 
innovative regional medical education program serving Alaska, 
Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Medical students attend the 
University of Washington's School of Medicine, the only medical school 
in the five states, but the young doctors intern in all five states.
  It makes the rural practice of medicine real to young doctors and 
reality to rural communities throughout the region.
  The long list of achievements can be summed up simply by knowing that 
Dr. John Hogness did so much for so many.
  Rather than mourn his passing, I hope that we celebrate the life of 
Dr. John Hogness by remembering he was an intellectual giant who never 
forgot how to make house calls.

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