IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 403 

Recognizing the important contributions of African-American doctors on the 

event of the apology of the American Medical Association to the National 

Medical Association, an association of African-American doctors, for over 

a century of racial prejudices and wrongdoings, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 31, 2008 

Mr. BUTTERFIELD (for himself, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Ms. LEE, Ms. CLARKE, 

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. THOMPSON

of Mississippi, Mr. TOWNS, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. CARSON, Ms. RICHARDSON, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of 

Texas, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. CLEAVER, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. WATT, 

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. CLAY, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. CLYBURN, Ms. WATERS, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. 

BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. DAVIS of Alabama, Mr. 

CONYERS, Mr. JEFFERSON, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. JOHNSON

of Georgia, Mr. RUSH, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. COHEN, Mr. MEEK

of Florida, Ms. WATSON, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. JACKSON of 

Illinois, Mr. SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Ms. 

SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. SNYDER, Ms. 

DELAURO, Ms. SOLIS, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. HOOLEY, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. WEINER, Ms. ESHOO, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. STARK, Mr. MORAN

of Virginia, Mr. KENNEDY, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. HONDA, Mr. MILLER of 

North Carolina, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Ms. NORTON, Mr. SPRATT, 

Mr. RANGEL, Mr. WAMP, Mr. POMEROY, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, 

Mr. MELANCON, Mr. CAPUANO, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. 

WAXMAN, Ms. BERKLEY, and Ms. DEGETTE) submitted the following 

concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 

and Commerce 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the important contributions of African-American 


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•HCON 403 IH 

doctors on the event of the apology of the American 

Medical Association to the National Medical Association, 

an association of African-American doctors, for over a 

century of racial prejudices and wrongdoings, and for 

other purposes. 

Whereas the American Medical Association (AMA) recently 

apologized to the National Medical Association (NMA), 

an association of African-American doctors, for its past 

history of racial inequality toward African-American physicians; 

Whereas the AMA used the occasion to share its current efforts to increase the ranks of minority physicians and 

their participation in their organization; 

Whereas the NMA, described as ‘‘the largest and oldest national organization representing African-American physicians and their patients in the United States’’, was 

founded in 1895; 

Whereas the NMA is headquartered in the District of Columbia and represents more than 25,000 African-American 

doctors; 

Whereas the AMA, the largest association of physicians and 

medical students in the United States, was founded in 

1847 and incorporated in 1897; 

Whereas the AMA did not allow African-American doctors to 

join their organization for over a century because of their 

race; 

Whereas in 1968, the AMA became integrated by amending 

its constitution and bylaws to punish racial discrimination by permitting the expulsion of constituent societies; 


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•HCON 403 IH 

Whereas the AMA created the Minority Affairs Consortium 

in 1992, which is charged with increasing the number of 

underrepresented minority medical students and physicians; 

Whereas the AMA established the Commission to End 

Healthcare Disparities in 1994, whose mission is to ‘‘collaborate proactively to increase awareness among physicians and health professionals; use evidence-based and 

other strategies; and advocate for action, including governmental, to eliminate disparities in health care and 

strengthen the health care system’’; 

Whereas Dr. Lonnie Bristow was named the first AfricanAmerican president of AMA in 1994; 

Whereas there is still work to be done, as in 1910, AfricanAmerican doctors made up 2.5 percent of total doctors in 

United States, and in 2008, Black doctors make up only 

2.2 percent of total doctors in the United States; 

Whereas James Derham, born into slavery in 1757, was the 

first African-American to formally practice medicine, and 

did not attend medical school; 

Whereas James McCune Smith was the first universitytrained African-American doctor, graduating with a medical degree earned in Scotland in 1837; 

Whereas David J. Peck was first African-American to graduate from an American medical school in 1847, and went 

on practice medicine in the United States; 

Whereas there were 14 African-American medical schools 

opened after the Civil War; 

Whereas Shaw University’s Leonard Medical School, located 

in Raleigh, North Carolina, is one of the South’s oldest 

historically Black colleges and universities; 


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•HCON 403 IH 

Whereas Leonard Medical School was the first Black medical 

school in the Deep South, and the only Black medical 

school in North Carolina; 

Whereas Leonard Medical School and its more than 400 

graduates went on to play important societal roles by 

leading hospitals, opening libraries, and starting businesses in the healthcare field; 

Whereas Leonard Medical School graduate Aaron Moore became the first African-American physician in Durham, 

North Carolina; 

Whereas after graduating in Leonard Medical School’s first 

graduating class, Lawson Andrew Scruggs started a tuberculosis sanatorium in Southern Pines, North Carolina, 

and was largely responsible for decreasing the death rate 

in Raleigh, North Carolina’s African-American community; and 

Whereas Leonard Medical School trained African-American 

doctors who made a positive impact on their communities 

and paved the way for other African-Americans to enter 

medicine in the future: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) recognizes the important contributions of 

4 African-American doctors on the event of the apol5 ogy of American Medical Association (AMA) to the 

6 National Medical Association (NMA), an association 

7 of African-American doctors, for over a century of 

8 racial prejudices and wrongdoings; 


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•HCON 403 IH 

1 (2) recognizes the efforts of Dr. W. Montague 

2 Cobb, former president of the NMA in helping to 

3 break down the racial prejudices at the AMA that 

4 eventually led to the AMA’s full integration; 

5 (3) recognizes Shaw University’s Leonard Med6 ical School and other historically Black colleges and 

7 universities for their role in training African-Amer8 ican doctors who made a positive impact on their 

9 communities and paved the way for other African10 Americans to enter medicine in the future; and 

11 (4) encourages more African-Americans to work 

12 in medicine and become doctors, nurses, and re13 searchers to benefit the African-American commu14 nity and society as a whole. 

Æ 


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