[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22109]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   IN MEMORY OF DR. M. DELMAR EDWARDS

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 17, 2009

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
a man who I am proud to have called a friend, a constituent, and an 
inspiration: Dr. M. Delmar Edwards of Columbus, Georgia. Dr. Edwards 
was the first African-American to practice surgery in the city of 
Columbus and was one who blazed new trails for those who would follow 
him. On September 11, 2009, he passed away at the age of 83.
  Dr. Edwards was born on December 19, 1926, in the state of Arkansas. 
He attended Morehouse College and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science 
from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, in 1948. He 
received a master's degree from Atlanta University in 1952 and, in 
1957, became the fifth black person to graduate from the University of 
Arkansas Medical School.
  In 1964 he moved to Columbus and started his practice on the corner 
of Fourth Avenue, now Veterans Parkway, and Eighth Street. He 
eventually led the general surgery section at the Medical Center and 
served as chairman of the department of surgery. Later, he trained to 
be a surgeon at the Residency Training Program in General Surgery at 
the Tuskegee Veterans Administration Hospital.
  In the early 1980s, Dr. Edwards was a founding trustee of the 
Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, where a scholarship program 
was eventually named in his honor and has helped dozens of bright, 
young, aspiring physicians to achieve their goals of becoming a doctor.
  In addition to his esteemed medical career, Dr. Edwards found the 
time to become a mentor to scores of African-American physicians in 
Columbus and was a driving force behind their decisions to stay and 
practice within the community. He was also a devoted community leader, 
becoming the first African-American to serve on the Columbus Housing 
Authority Board and the second on the Muscogee County School Board.
  Madam Speaker, Dr. M. Delmar Edwards served the people of Columbus 
with honor, respect, and integrity. His lifetime of altruistic care-
giving has made him a legend in our community and an inspirational 
figure for us all. I consider it a privilege to honor his life today 
and his dedication and lifelong commitment to the welfare of others. He 
will be missed.

                          ____________________