Dr. Joseph Ralph Williams Sr.'s Obituary
J.R. was born on April 25, 1920 and his home going was February 17, 2009 in Prosper, TX. His parents were Ida L. Hampton and Robert Williams. His mother was from Keatchie, LA. As a native of Dallas, he attended Dallas Public Schools and graduated with honors as the valedictorian of the Class of 1938. J.R. graduated with a B.A. from Texas College in Tyler, TX on May 28, 1942. While attending Texas College he served as the editor of the school paper, “The Texas Steer”. He went on to attend medical school at Meharry Medical College School of Medicine and Dentistry in Nashville, TN. He performed his internship at Homer G. Phillips, Hospital Division of the City of St. Louis, MO from October 1, 1945 to June 30, 1946. While performing his internship in St. Louis, the army took over the medical department at the hospital therefore he found himself drafted in to the army. J.R. received his A.B., M.D. from the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners to practice medicine and surgery in the state of Texas upon Reciprocity with Tennessee on March 29, 1946. While in St. Louis, J.R. married Marian Lucile Baugh of Nashville, TN on April 23, 1948 and they were married for 54 years until she passed on May 17, 2002. He is survived by 6 children; Roslyn Elaine, Stephanie Loyce (Taylor), Joseph Ralph II, M.D., Geoffrey Manfred, M.D., Angela Teresa, Kevin Duane, and many relatives in Louisiana. J.R. held many jobs during his late childhood and early adulthood to fund his schooling. He says he dug graves in North Dallas. He was a certified auxiliary fireman with the Tyler Fire Department. He was a certified taxidermist. He was employed as a Porter on the Missouri Pacific Lines. He was a member of the Phi Delta Psi honor society at Texas College and a member of the Kappa chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. J.R. had many hobbies including reading everything, listening to jazz, cooking, baking, photography, collecting barbed wire and Avon bottles, building things of wood and mosaic tiles. The New York Times Sunday edition was delivered to our house every week. His medical career was very interesting. During the 1950’s, J.R. shared a medical clinic with Drs. E. Homer Browne and Frank H. Jordan, Sr. at 2918 Thomas Avenue in the now newly renovated State Street Thomas Ave. business district. In 1954, J.R. was one of five black physicians (there were eighteen black doctors in Dallas at the time) given hospital privileges (not staff membership status) at St. Paul Hospital; the first major Dallas hospital to use black doctors. This action came the same year the U.S. Supreme Court struck down segregated schools. The other four doctors were Frank Jordan, William Flowers, George Shelton and L.G. Pinkston (founder of Pinkston Clinic, a Dallas medical facility used by black doctors with only fifteen beds) at 3305 Thomas Avenue. St. Paul had approximately thirty-two beds for blacks at the time. The county and state medical associations did not admit black doctors until 1955. J.R. was one of the first three black physicians admitted to membership on the staff of St. Paul Hospital in June 1956, the first Dallas hospital to give staff status to black physicians. In the 1960’s, J.R. and Dr. Dudley V. Powell established a corporation and practice in South Dallas on Forest Avenue. Later, Dr. Myron Watkins joined their practice. J. R. was appointed medical director of South Dallas Crossroads Community Center in 1969. This was one of six federal projects in the United States offering city, county and federal services of several kinds under one roof. Per the Dallas Morning News “Crossroads Post Goes to Dr. Williams”, 1969-02-19 “A Native of Dallas and former Health Director at Bishop College, he has practiced in Tyler, Huntsville, and Dallas, specializing in obstetrics and gynecology since 1960.” J.R. started practicing medicine as a general practitioner and later specialized in obstetrics and gynecology and then entered public service. He was Acting Director of the Public Health Department for the City of Dallas when he retired in 1982. He added personal computing to his list of many hobbies. He has four grandchildren; Owen Taylor (1982, son of Stephanie), Morgan Blunt (1983, daughter of Roslyn), Ashley Rene – deceased, and Jordan Rene (twin daughters of J.R. II, M.D. and Bobbie Sparks). Dad is known by many nicknames including Dr. Williams, Joe, J.R., dad, Doc and Head Wolf. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 am, Monday, February, 23, 2009 at Restland Memorial Chapel. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in his name to the Alzheimer’s Association; 4144 N. Central Expressway, Ste 750, Dallas, TX 75204; and American Diabetes Association, PO Box 1131, Fairfax, VA 22038-1131
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