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HEALTH CARE AND
ITS DELIVERY.. .
by Willis J. Walker, Jr.
DRS. WESTON AND GRIFFIN ASSUME STATE OFFICES
Augusta is the home of five of Georgia’s less than one hundred
black physicians. The five located here in Augusta . are Drs.
Robert Anderson, Allen Brown, William L. Griffin, Paul Weston,
and R.S. Weston. The latter two are brothers.
At the recent meeting of the Georgia State Medical Association
held at Jekyll Island, two Augusta physicians were elected to
office. Dr. R. S. Weston was installed as president. He follows the
outstanding leadership of the out-going president, Dr. L. C.
Brown of Atlanta, Georgia. Assuming the position of Publicity
Chairman and a member of the Scholarship Committee is Dr.
William L. Griffin who heads the Doctor’s Clinic on Twelfth
Street. The Georgia State Medical Association was founded in
1895 and is a member of the national parent organization, The
National Medical Association. This column and the Augusta
Community congratulate both of these fine physicians and
anticipate outstanding leadership from both.
Recently, this columnist had an opportunity to visit with both
Drs. Griffin and R. S. Weston and came away with what follows.
This week we will look briefly at Dr. Griffin and next Dr. Weston.
Dr. William L. Griffin is married to Evelyn Bernice Maxwell
Griffin. They are the proud parents of three children: William L.
Jr., - an entering freshman medical student at Meharry Medical
College; Terry, a high schooler and Kelvin, a recent addition to
the household. Dr. Griffin has been in Augusta since July 20,
1953. He hails from St. Louis, Missouri. His collegiate work was
done at Lincoln University where he graduated cum laude with a
B. S. degree. In 1950 he received his M.D. degree from Howard
University (Washington, D.C.) and entered an internship at
Homer G. Phillips Hospital for one year followed by a two year
residency in surgery. Because of the trememdous patient load
which he now conducts, he only does general practice. So often,
the lay person fails or refuses to acknowledge or see the doctor as
a human being. And all too often in the black community, the
physician is expected by some blacks and whites to perform
wonders beyond human capacities and within the same wink of
an eye he is expected to carry upon his shoulders concerns never
expected of physicians from other communities. It goes without
saying that these expectations and the attempt of many of these
physicians to fill such a bill has taken many out of service because
of heart attacks and the like. Asked about his personality, which
he says that he would describe as an “extrovert.”
So often in this community and in other black communities
claims are asserted that the black physician does not involve
himself in community action programs or issues which for the
most part affect that segment of the community. I am sure that
some of these claims are justified and perhaps attention should be
drawn to them. With this in mind Dr. Griffin was asked how he
has involved himself other than just his practice, he commented
“1 have always tried to do all that I could to better our
community by being involved in the community and issues. Often
I am not visible and I prefer it that way, basically because I wish,
to do things because they are worthwhile and need to be done. I
would much rather do something for the sake of this cause and
not for the sake of publicity.” Dr. Griffin is presently president
of the Stoney Medical-Dental-Pharmacy Society, a local
organization of Augusta’s Black physicians, dentists and
pharmacists. He is an active member of the Williams Memorial
C. Church where he serves on its Board of Trustees. He serves
on the Board of Directors for the Y.M.C.A.; he is a member of
the Task Force for the Georgia Regional Medical Program, a
member of the National Medical Association, and a member of
the American Medical Association. He is also a member of Omega
Psi Phi fraternity. (It might be added that Dr. Griffin presented a
personal gift to MCG a few months ago for the recruitment and
scholarship efforts for minority group students). Posed with the
question of his concern for health care and its delivery here in
Augusta, Dr. Griffin responded, “1 am deeply concerned with the
inadequate number of black physicians here in Augusta. Presently
we don’t have enough black physicians to serve the black
community; and we don’t have physicians who are specialists in
08/GYN, pediatrics, internal medicine, and 1 can go on. We
urgently need some of these young black physicians here. I, as are
the other black physicians, am being overworked. It is sad to say,
I literally have to lock my door at 6:30 p.m. in order not to go
into the middle of the night. The same can be said of the other
Black physicians here in Augusta; at this rate our health can only
last so long. You must also remember that none of us are getting
any younger.”
Asked to comment on how he felt about the concept of
community medicine and a centralized building with physicians,
dentists, & pharmacy, etc. he was quick to respond by saying, “It
would deliver health care service to more people and I am
somewhat of the opinion that it would be a more attractive
approach to people.” Would he be interested in sharing in such an
adventure? He quipped “Yes.” When asked to describe his
relationship with the various hospitals here in Augusta, he
responded by saying that his relationships have been “fairly
good”. As this columnist left the over-crowded office of Dr.
Griffin, he could not but wonder how wonderful it would be if
some of these young persons who were about to be examined
decided that they too were going to do something about health
care and its delivery and more that some of those parents were
going to be encouraging their children to become a part of the
team.
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98 AUGUSTA, GEORGIA
Hickson Gets
Degree In
Black Literature
Among the “new” faces on
Paine’s faculty this year will be
Cyrus Hickson, Jr. Hickson,
completed his Masters of Arts
degree in Afro-American
Literature this summer at
Atlanta University. He will
work in Paine’s Academic
Skills Clinic and teach one class
in Black Literature in the
regular college program.
Hickson, who was formerly
Assistant Director of
Admissions at Paine, has also
taught in Paine’s Upward
Bound Program and also in the
Richmond County Public
school system. He is a member
of the Antioch Baptist Church.
New CAC Members
Officers, Named
New officers for the coming
year were elected Monday
night, August 16, by members
of the Community Action
Committee, advisory group to
the Economic Opportunity
Authority of the C.S.R.A.
John M. Smith, Jr. of the
Augusta College faculty was
named CAC chairman, and
other officers included
Evangelist Richard R. Williams,
vice-chairman, and Mrs. M.E.
Braxton, secretary. Evangelist
Williams of the Church of
Christ is one of the recently
elected representatives of the
Community Service Center to
the CAC. Mrs. Braxton is the
CAC representative from Paine
College.
CAC members also named
three persons to hold the
“private sector” seats on the
Economic Opportunity
Authority. They are: Mrs.
Martin Frank, who served until
recently as human resources
chairman of the Augusta Area
League of Women Voters, Mr.
Al Irby of the Augusta Council
on Human Relations, and Mr.
Floyd Green of the Georgia
Railroad Bank. They begin
their duties with the
September meeting of the
E.O.A. Chairman Smith also
serves on EOA.
, During the past week,
neighborhood center residents
held special elections for their
representatives to CAC. They
are as follows:
Hyde Park - Mrs. Lillie B.
Hatcher, Rayford Kimbley,
Mrs. Mary Safford, Mrs. Peggy ,
Washington, Mrs. Jenell Brown.
West End - Mrs. Ruth
Hichman, Curtis Latson, Mrs.
Martha Parker, Thurman Wrye,
Mrs. Pauline Sauls.
Turpin Hill- Mrs. Christine
McGruder, Mrs. Lottie Mills,
Eddie Rhaney, Mrs. Doris
Dent.
Community Service Center -
Evangelist Richard R. Williams,
Rev. Lee Wallace, John
Richardson, Marshall Walker,
David Neely.
The representatives from the
Weed area will be elected soon.
FOOD STAMPS
Cont’d from page I
affect the best solution of a
mobile unit. The areas which
were to be visited were set up
into a schedule and the best
solution to the problem was
put into operation.
Both agencies should be and
are very proud of this
combined effort to help the
indigent people of the Augusta
community. Even more, both
agencies are thankful to Mr.
Don Neal and the Richmond
County Commission for being
key factors in making this
effort possible.
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This Week At
The Library
NOONDAY FILM PROGRAM
On Tuesday, August 24, the
films, “Williamsburg Restored”
and “Trip with Currier and
Ives”, will be shown at the
Augusta-Richmond County
Public Library’s weekly series
of film programs “The World
in Films”.
The film “Williamsburg
Restored” is a camera study
that emphasizes the extensive
research and painstaking
attention to detail which have
been involved in the
restoration of Williamsburg,
Virginia.
In the film “Trip with
Currier and Ives” a pleasing
. combination of Currier and
’ Ives prints and folk songs
brings to life the times and
ways of life of a century ago.
There is no charge. The
Elim Notes
Women’s Day
Elim Baptist Church will
hold its annual Women’s Day
Program, Sunday, August 22,
at 11:15 a.m. Guest Speaker
for the occasion will be Mrs.
Mattie E. Braxton, a native
Augustan. Mrs. Braxton holds a
B.S. degree from Paine College,
Augusta, Ga.; a M.A. degree
from Atlanta University, and
has done further studies in the
area of Childhood Education.
Following other educational
experiences in Georgia, she is
now Assistant Professor of
Education at Paine College.
She has been actively
engaged in civic and religious
life of the community
including past president of the
Augusta Women’s Civic Club,
the Augusta Chapter of Delta
Sigma Theta Sorority, a
member of the Board of
Directors of Shiloh Orphanage
and the National Association
of College Women.
Mrs. Braxton is a member of
Springfield Baptist Church and
the wife of the Rev. M.E.
Braxton.
Other participants on the
program will be Mrs. Barbara
Eldridge, Mrs. Susie M. Turner,
Mrs. Bennie M. Williams, Miss
Maxine Faison, Mrs. Mabie
Smalley, Mrs. Eloise Garnett
and Mrs. Rebecca Zealey.
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a four-year, state-supported arts and sciences college
The Augusta College
department of education has
announced plans’ to offer a
special fall quarter course on
the teaching of elementary
school science. Education
chairman James M. Dye said
the course, to meet twice
weekly in late afternoon
sessions, will be taught by Dr.
Louise McCommons.
Dr. McCommons served as a
science consultant with the
Little River Shared Services
public is invited.
LIBRARY STORY HOURS
Children of the area are
invited to attend the weekly
Story Hours conducted by the
Augusta Library. They are held
at the Main Library on
Tuesdays; at the Wallace
Branch Library of Wednesdays
and at the Appleby Branch
Library on Thursdays. All
programs begin at 4:00 p.m.
This week “Princess
September” will be told at the
Main Library “The Wise Old
■Shepherd” at the Wallace
Branch and “Jack and the
Beanstalk” at the Appleby
Branch.
The film “Anatole”,
bringing to life Anatole the
mouse and his adventures in
the cheese-testing room, will be
shown at the Main Library and
Wallace Branch. Books will be
reviewed for various ages and
interests.
A Silent Prayer
By LeJeune H. Ellison
For every needless black death;
For every idea stolen;
For every impurity felt;
For every hopeless inteneration;
For every truth exploded;
For every song unsung;
For every beauty burned;
For every pain impinged;
For every dream denied;
Lord, let it rain.
Project before joining the AC
faculty and has extensive
experience as an elementary
school teacher and as a science
consultant, Dye said.
Areas to be covered by the
course include recent
curriculum development, the
nature of elementary science,
and the processes of science.
Dye said the course will
carry five quarter hours of
credit, and noted that
in-service teachers interested in
taking it have the privilege of a
simplified admissions
procedure.
He said that those wishing
further information should
contact AC Admissions
Director Jack McNeal.
Augusta College’s new
Alumni Association officers
and Executive Board members,
led by President Sammie L.
Bodie, are already hard at work
planning for this fall’s Alumni
Fund campaign.
Bodie, a North Augusta,
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News-Review, August 19, 1971 -
S. businessman, is a member
of the class of ’67, AC’s first
four-year graduating class. He
succeeds Dr. Stewart Wiggins in
the top Alumni spot.
The new vice-president is
James M. Menger, a 1955 AC
graduate and a vice-president
of the Georgia Railroad Bank
and Trust Company. Menger is
also serving the Alumni
Association as Alumni Fund
chairman.
Serving again this year as
Alumni Association secretary is
Mrs. Robert Heath ’4O, a
member of the faculty at
Langford Junior High School.
R. Alton McFeely, class of ’43,
is the 1971-72 treasurer. He is
associated with the Atomic
Eftergy Commission.
Members of the Executive
Board include Keith Anderson,
Dr. J.P. Bailey, Mrs. T.E.
Bailey, Arthur Balk, T.D.
Brown, Dr. R.G. Ellison, Dr.
R.H. Fender, Miss Helen
Hendee, J.H. Johnson, Mrs.
T. Maxwell, Mrs. Joseph
Mulherin, Noel Schweers, R.S.
Scott, Mrs. D.B. Sullivan, Mrs.
D.C. Willingham and Dr. S.L.
Wiggins, all of Augusta, and
T.G. Thevaos of Gracewood.
President Denton R. Coker
of South Georgia College will
be the main speaker for
Augusta College’s summer
commencement exercises, set
Page 3
for 8 p.m. on Friday, August
20, in the Performing Arts
Theatre.
Dr. Coker, a Waco, Texas,
native, has been president of
the junior college in Douglas
since July 1, 1968.
He holds the B.A. degree
from the University of
Houston and the B.D. and
ThD. degrees from the
Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary. He has also done
graduate work in the field of
education at the University of
North Carolina and at Harvard
University.
Coker’s career has included
service as a high school social
studies teacher, a professor of
religious education at the
Southern and Southeastern
Baptist Theological Seminaries,
and as Dean of Academic
Affairs at Brunswick Junior
College.
During World War 11, he was
a U.S. Navy Flight instructor
and air transport pilot.
Coker is a member of the
Georgia Junior College
Association, the American
Association of Junior Colleges,
the Education Commission of
the Georgia Baptist
Convention, the American
Association of Higher
Education and the National
Education Association.
He is active in civic and
church work in Douglas.