H.R. No. 252
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Dr. Clarence Brooks of Fort Worth has earned the
admiration and esteem of his colleagues, patients, and community
for his selfless dedication to his fellow citizens; and
WHEREAS, Born to Marie Norris Brooks and Dr. Marion J. Brooks
in Fort Worth on October 22, 1950, Dr. Brooks is heir to an
impressive family legacy; his father was an accomplished physician
and community leader, and his uncle, Dr. Donald Brooks, was the
first African American in Fort Worth to practice general surgery;
and
WHEREAS, In 1968, Dr. Brooks enrolled at Howard University,
where he joined Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity; after graduating with a
medical degree in 1975, he became part of the Brooks Family Practice
Clinic, which was founded by his father and uncle; at the clinic, he
was moved by the compassion and generosity evidenced by the senior
Brooks brothers, who treated patients regardless of their ability
to pay; guided by their example, he has continued to waive fees for
patients of lesser means throughout his nearly 40 years with the
family practice; he has also provided low-cost physicals to
countless aspiring high school athletes, in the belief that cost
should never be a barrier to participation in sports; his open-door
policy is still repaid by grateful patients with such heartfelt
expressions of thanks as cakes, cookies, and the occasional slab of
ribs; and
WHEREAS, While accomplishing immeasurable good through his
work as a physician, Dr. Brooks has also carried forward his
family's notable tradition of community service; as president of
the Sickle Cell Anemia Association of Texas from 1976 to 1986, he
traveled across the state promoting testing for the disease and
seeking increased funding for both testing and research; he
formerly served for two years on the City of Fort Worth Planning and
Zoning Commission, and he was a founding director of the Tarrant
County Black Historical and Genealogical Society; and
WHEREAS, Among the awards garnered by this distinguished
gentleman is the Dr. Marion J. Brooks Living Legends Award for
Medicine, given by the Renaissance Cultural Center; in addition, he
has been a recipient of the Outstanding Young Doctor Award from
Dollars and Cents magazine, and he has been named one of the
Outstanding Physicians in Black America; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Brooks is the devoted husband of Sonya Hamilton
and the proud father of two children, Leigh Higginbotham Butler and
Codie Elaine Brooks; his treasured family also includes two
grandchildren, Christopher Caleb Butler and Gavin Brooks Butler;
and
WHEREAS, Possessed of a genuine concern for others,
Dr. Clarence Brooks has given freely of his talents and resources
to benefit the wider community, and he is an inspiration to all who
are privileged to know him; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby honor Dr. Clarence Brooks
for his exceptional career in medicine and extend to him sincere
appreciation for his sterling example of social responsibility in
action; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Dr. Brooks as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.
Collier
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 252 was adopted by the House on June
25, 2013, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House