SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 52 Celebrating the life of George Christopher Cypress, Jr.   Agreed to by the Senate, January 17, 2008 Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 25, 2008  

WHEREAS, George Christopher Cypress, Jr., of Hampton, a respected civil rights activist and beloved longtime pediatrician in Hampton Roads, died on November 17, 2007; and

WHEREAS, George Cypress received a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia State College in Institute, West Virginia; earned a medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, where he was honored as instructor and fellow of pediatrics; and became an assistant pediatric professor at Howard University; and

WHEREAS, a dedicated and skilled physician, Dr. Cypress joined the staff of Whittaker Memorial Hospital in Newport News, and through his commitment to excellent patient care, became department head of pediatrics; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Cypress left hospital practice to serve his country in the United States Army, first as chief of pediatrics at Fort Eustis and then through tours of duty in Korea and Japan, attaining the rank of captain; and

WHEREAS, in 1954, Dr. Cypress began his longtime private practice of pediatric medicine in Newport News, and at the time, he was the only African American pediatrician in Hampton Roads; and

WHEREAS, throughout his life, Dr. Cypress was a champion of civil rights, and in 1967, his landmark case Cypress vs. Newport News Hospital Association, helped lay the foundation for preventing discrimination in hospital and professional associations; and

WHEREAS, for a time in the 1980s, Dr. Cypress and his wife Aileen lived in Saudi Arabia, where he was a hospital administrator at King Fahad Hospital; and

WHEREAS, after a long and exemplary career in medicine that provided a multitude of responsibilities, as well as rewarding experiences, Dr. Cypress retired as a medical consultant for the Department of Medical Assistance Services in 2004; and

WHEREAS, a man of great compassion and sense of duty to his community, Dr. Cypress gave his time and immense talents over the years to countless civic organizations, including as an original trustee and vice president of Sarah Bonwell Hudgins Regional Center and president of Virginia Association for Retarded Children; as a consultant to the National Institutes of Health Sickle Cell Disease Branch, Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, and Virginia School for the Deaf, Blind, and Multi-Disabled; as vice-chair of Virginia’s Development Disability Council; and as a board member of the Peninsula Association for Retarded Children; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Cypress also volunteered as director of the Hampton University infirmary for many years and was a member and tireless supporter of the American Red Cross, Hampton Roads Boys Club, Hampton School Board, Virginia Developmental Disability Council, Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, Peninsula Association for Sickle Cell Anemia, and many Newport News Public Schools programs for children with special needs; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Cypress will be fondly remembered for his commitment to the medical profession and his devotion to his family and greatly missed by his wife of 61 years, Aileen Bowens Cypress; his daughters, Cheryll, Rosalyne, and Shelia and their wonderful families, especially beloved grandsons James, Cameron, and Christopher; his numerous other family members and friends; and his countless patients, colleagues, and admirers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly note with great sadness the passing of an outstanding Virginian, George Christopher Cypress, Jr.; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of George Christopher Cypress, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 52 Offered January 9, 2008 Prefiled January 8, 2008 Celebrating the life of George Christopher Cypress, Jr. ---------- Patron-- Locke ----------

WHEREAS, George Christopher Cypress, Jr., of Hampton, a respected civil rights activist and beloved longtime pediatrician in Hampton Roads, died on November 17, 2007; and

WHEREAS, George Cypress received a bachelor's degree from West Virginia State College in Institute, West Virginia; earned a medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, where he was honored as instructor and fellow of pediatrics; and became an assistant pediatric professor at Howard University; and

WHEREAS, a dedicated and skilled physician, Dr. Cypress joined the staff of Whittaker Memorial Hospital in Newport News, and through his commitment to excellent patient care, became department head of pediatrics; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Cypress left hospital practice to serve his country in the United States Army, first as chief of pediatrics at Fort Eustis and then through tours of duty in Korea and Japan, attaining the rank of captain; and

WHEREAS, in 1954, Dr. Cypress began his longtime private practice of pediatric medicine in Newport News, and at the time, he was the only African-American pediatrician in Hampton Roads; and

WHEREAS, throughout his life, Dr. Cypress was a champion of civil rights, and in 1967, his landmark case Cypress vs. Newport News Hospital Association, helped lay the foundation for preventing discrimination in hospital and professional associations; and

WHEREAS, for a time in the 1980s, Dr. Cypress and his wife Aileen lived in Saudi Arabia, where he was a hospital administrator at King Fahad Hospital; and

WHEREAS, after a long and exemplary career in medicine that provided a multitude of responsibilities, as well as rewarding experiences, Dr. Cypress retired as a medical consultant for the Department of Medical Assistance Services in 2004; and

WHEREAS, a man of great compassion and sense of duty to his community, Dr. Cypress gave his time and immense talents over the years to countless civic organizations, including as an original trustee and vice president of Sarah Bonwell Hudgins Regional Center and president of Virginia Association for Retarded Children; as a consultant to the National Institutes of Health Sickle Cell Disease Branch, Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, and Virginia State School for Blind Deaf and Disabled; as vice-chair of Virginia for the Development Disability Council; and as a board member of the Peninsula Association for Retarded Children; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Cypress also volunteered as director of the Hampton University infirmary for many years and was a member and tireless supporter of the American Red Cross, Hampton Roads Boys Club, Hampton School Board, Virginia Developmental Disability Council, Virginia Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Peninsula Association for Sickle Cell Anemia, and many Newport News Public Schools programs for children with special needs; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Cypress will be fondly remembered for his commitment to the medical profession and his devotion to his family and greatly missed by his wife of 61 years, Aileen Bowens Cypress; his daughters, Cheryll, Rosalyne, and Shelia and their wonderful families, especially beloved grandsons James, Cameron, and Christopher; his numerous other family members and friends; and his countless patients, colleagues, and admirers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly note with great sadness the passing of an outstanding Virginian, George Christopher Cypress, Jr.; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of George Christopher Cypress, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.