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 Flor-
ida, 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. CLY-
BURN, 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 Penn-
sylvania, 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 phy-
sicians; 
Whereas the AMA used the occasion to share its current ef-
forts to increase the ranks of minority physicians and 
their participation in their organization; 
Whereas the NMA, described as ‘‘the largest and oldest na-
tional organization representing African-American physi-
cians and their patients in the United States’’, was 
founded in 1895; 
Whereas the NMA is headquartered in the District of Colum-
bia 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 discrimina-
tion 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 physi-
cians; 
Whereas the AMA established the Commission to End 
Healthcare Disparities in 1994, whose mission is to ‘‘col-
laborate proactively to increase awareness among physi-
cians and health professionals; use evidence-based and 
other strategies; and advocate for action, including gov-
ernmental, to eliminate disparities in health care and 
strengthen the health care system’’; 
Whereas Dr. Lonnie Bristow was named the first African- 
American president of AMA in 1994; 
Whereas there is still work to be done, as in 1910, African- 
American 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 university- 
trained African-American doctor, graduating with a med-
ical degree earned in Scotland in 1837; 
Whereas David J. Peck was first African-American to grad-
uate 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 busi-
nesses in the healthcare field; 
Whereas Leonard Medical School graduate Aaron Moore be-
came 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 tu-
berculosis sanatorium in Southern Pines, North Carolina, 
and was largely responsible for decreasing the death rate 
in Raleigh, North Carolina’s African-American commu-
nity; 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 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress— 
(1) recognizes the important contributions of 
African-American doctors on the event of the apol-
ogy of American Medical Association (AMA) to the 
National Medical Association (NMA), an association 
of African-American doctors, for over a century of 
racial prejudices and wrongdoings; 
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•HCON 403 IH 
(2) recognizes the efforts of Dr. W. Montague 
Cobb, former president of the NMA in helping to 
break down the racial prejudices at the AMA that 
eventually led to the AMA’s full integration; 
(3) recognizes Shaw University’s Leonard Med-
ical School and other historically Black colleges and 
universities for their role in training African-Amer-
ican doctors who made a positive impact on their 
communities and paved the way for other African- 
Americans to enter medicine in the future; and 
(4) encourages more African-Americans to work 
in medicine and become doctors, nurses, and re-
searchers to benefit the African-American commu-
nity and society as a whole. 
Æ 
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