The CDU Family Celebrates the Singular Life of Frederick Douglass Parrott, Jr., MD( continued)
The dignitaries? How about Dr. James E. K. Hildreth, President of Meharry Medical College; Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, President and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine; and Dr. Andrea Hayes, incoming Dean and first female in that role at Howard University’ s College of Medicine. Other speakers offering reflections and reminiscences included Dr. Jessie Sherrod, Cofounder, Association of Black Women Physicians; and Dr. C. Suzanne Cutter, President, Charles Drew Medical Society. Dr. Natalie Carroll, past NMA President, offered a tribute on behalf of the Parrott family. Each speaker provided a heartfelt assessment of the impact of Dr. Parrott’ s participation with their institution or organization.
Dr. Hildreth noted how Dr. Parrott, a Meharry graduate, influenced his colleagues. His financial contributions provided unparalleled support to minority students.“ Meharry will be grateful to Dr. Parrott for a long time to come,” he noted.
Dr. Montgomery Rice cited the event as“ critical and necessary.” Dr. Parrott supported Morehouse medical students enrolled in all of the critical specialties offered at the institution. He also corresponded with scholarship recipients and was dedicated to helping them to fulfill their potential.
Dr. Hayes thanked Dr. Parrott for the more than $ 1 million dollars in donations over the years. He provided great impact with his support to a wide variety of Howard students, she noted.
Association of Black Women Physicians Co-Founder Dr. Sherrod celebrated Dr. Parrott as an advocate for public health and ABWP’ s mission. She noted that today, after 41 years of operation, ABWP will continue to promote continue Dr. Fred’ s legacy.
Dr. Cutter noted that those in attendance have experienced Dr. Parrott’ s work in joy and celebration. She read from a proclamation by the Charles Drew Society that noted him as a life member and former Treasurer. Over two million men have received the cancer screening that he established, she added.
Dr. Natalie Carroll’ s words from the family cited Dr. Parrott as a true renaissance man. The outcome of his work was the improvement in the lives of students and assuring the education of the next generation of physicians. She noted that Dr. Parrott’ s legacy will be felt for many generations to come.
The celebration closed with a photo montage. The first song heard underneath the visual presentation was Frank Sinatra crooning“ My Way”, a fitting coda to the life of such an extraordinary man.
CDU College of Medicine | PG. 34