[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22839]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 HONORING DR. JAMES T. WILLERSON BEING NAMED INTERIM PRESIDENT OF THE 
          UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN BENTSEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 16, 2000

  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, today I honor Dr. James T. Willerson for 
being named Interim President of the University of Texas Health Science 
Center at Houston, one of the two world class medical schools in my 
district.
  An internationally distinguished cardiologist and medical educator, 
Dr. Willerson has served since 1989 as the Edward Randall III Professor 
and Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at the University 
of Texas Medical School at Houston. Dr. Willerson's dedication to 
research in cardiology has made him highly respected by his peers, 
students, and community.
  A native of Texas, Willerson grew up in San Antonio, where both of 
his parents were physicians. He graduated from the University of Texas 
at Austin with a B.A. in 1961. He received his Medical Degree from 
Baylor College of Medicine in 1965. Dr. Willerson completed his 
internship and residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 
Boston.
  Dr. Willerson is known throughout the Texas Medical Center community 
as a fine physician, scientist, teacher, and administrator. Before 
joining the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Dr. 
Willerson was a Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cardiology 
Division at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in 
Dallas and Director and Principal Investigator of the National Heart, 
Lung, and Blood Institute's Specialized Center of Research under a 
major grant from the NIH.
  He has received numerous national and international awards, including 
the ``James B. Herrick Award'' from the American Heart Association in 
1993 and named the American College of Cardiology's Distinguished 
Scientist for 2000. He was also elected a Fellow in the Royal Society 
of Medicine of the United Kingdom and made Honorary Member of the 
Society of Cardiology in Peru in 1994, and in Spain in 1996. Also, Dr. 
Willerson is a past President of the Paul Dudley White Cardiology 
Society at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.
  Throughout his career, Dr. Willerson has distinguished himself as a 
caring doctor and gifted teacher who demands the best. I congratulate 
Dr. James T. Willerson on being named Interim President of the 
University of Texas Health Science Center.

                          ____________________