Virginia 2025 Regular Session

Virginia Senate Bill SJR434 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		2025 SESSION
2	2
3		-	ENROLLED
	3	+	INTRODUCED
	4	+
	5	+	25106815D
4	6
5	7		SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 434
6	8
	9	+	Offered February 17, 2025
	10	+
7	11		Commending the Honorable William Ferguson Reid, M.D.
8	12
9		-	Agreed to by the Senate, February 19, 2025
10	13
11		-	Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 20, 2025
	14	+
	15	+	PatronSrinivasan
12	16
13	17
14	18
15	19		WHEREAS, the Honorable William Ferguson Reid, M.D., an outstanding physician, groundbreaking civil rights activist, and community leader, celebrates his 100th birthday in 2025; and
16	20
17	21		WHEREAS, Ferguson Fergie Reid grew up in the Jackson Ward neighborhood of Richmond and graduated from Armstrong High School and Virginia Union University; he continued his education by earning a medical degree from Howard University, then completed his medical internship and residency at Homer G. Phillips Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri; and
18	22
19	23		WHEREAS, Fergie Reid subsequently enlisted in the United States Navy and was assigned to the 1st Marine Division during the Korean War, then served at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland; and
20	24
21		-	WHEREAS, Fergie Reid returned to Richmond and opened a private surgical practice that served the community for more than 20 years; he also provided his leadership and expertise to several local hospitals ~~during~~ the 1950s and 1960s, including Richmond Memorial Hospital, Richmond Community Hospital, Retreat for the Sick Hospital, the Medical College of Virginia, and St. Mary's Hospital; and
	25	+	WHEREAS, Fergie Reid returned to Richmond and opened a private surgical practice that served the community for more than 20 years; he also provided his leadership and expertise to several local hospitals of the 1950s and 1960s, including Richmond Memorial Hospital, Richmond Community Hospital, Retreat for the Sick Hospital, the Medical College of Virginia, and St. Mary's Hospital; and
22	26
23		-	WHEREAS, as the first Black surgeon in Richmond, Fergie Reid weathered many barriers to practice his profession; he was rejected for membership in the medical society due to his race; he was denied staff privileges at area hospitals because staff privileges were extended only to members of the medical society; and because he was unable to practice in local hospitals, he could not obtain the requisite recommendations of five area surgeons to apply for ~~membership in the American College of Surgeons~~ until the staffs of area hospitals were desegregated; and
	27	+	WHEREAS, as the first Black surgeon in Richmond, Fergie Reid weathered many barriers to practice his profession; he was rejected for membership in the medical society due to his race; he was denied staff privileges at area hospitals because staff privileges were extended only to members of the medical society; and because he was unable to practice in local hospitals, he could not obtain the requisite recommendations of five area surgeons to apply for board certification until the staffs of area hospitals were desegregated; and
24	28
25	29		WHEREAS, Fergie Reid led the fight to desegregate medicine in Richmond, opening doors for Black physicians to obtain membership in local, state, and national medical education associations and societies; and
26	30
27	31		WHEREAS, Fergie Reid cofounded the Richmond Crusade for Voters in 1956 and began volunteering his leadership and expertise to civic organizations at the local and state levels; and
28	32
29	33		WHEREAS, Fergie Reid ran for and was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1967, making history as the first Black member of the General Assembly since the Reconstruction Era; and
30	34
31		-	WHEREAS, as a member of state government at that time, Fergie Reid often endured with dignity and grace the very exclusion that he had fought to eradicate in open society; he pressed on with his cause of equality and freedom and was instrumental in desegregating the page ~~program~~ to provide opportunities for minorities and females to serve as pages in the General Assembly; and
	35	+	WHEREAS, as a member of state government at that time, Fergie Reid often endured with dignity and grace the very exclusion that he had fought to eradicate in open society; he pressed on with his cause of equality and freedom and was instrumental in desegregating the page system to provide opportunities for minorities and females to serve as pages in the General Assembly; and
32	36
33	37		WHEREAS, Fergie Reid ably represented the residents of the City of Richmond and Henrico County in the 35th House District until 1973, during which time he introduced and supported numerous pieces of legislation to benefit his constituents and the Commonwealth as a whole; and
34	38
35	39		WHEREAS, in 1977, Fergie Reid began working for the U.S. Department of State as a regional medical officer; and
36	40
37	41		WHEREAS, on Fergie Reid's 90th birthday, the 90 for 90 Campaign was launched in his honor, imploring volunteers throughout the Commonwealth to inspire other Virginians to fulfill their civic duty to vote by registering 90 new voters in each precinct every year; and
38	42
39	43		WHEREAS, Fergie Reid has served the Richmond community and the Commonwealth with distinction, inspiring others through his personal integrity and unwavering commitment to servant-leadership; now, therefore, be it
40	44
41	45		RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Honorable William Ferguson Reid, M.D., on the occasion of his 100th birthday; and, be it
42	46
43	47		RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Honorable William Ferguson Reid, M.D., as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for his lifetime of personal and professional achievements.