HR77: Celebrating the life of Howard Wilbur Jones, Jr., M.D.
WHEREAS, Howard Wilbur Jones, Jr., M.D., of Portsmouth, a world-renowned pioneer in reproductive medicine, who, together with his wife, was responsible for the first in vitro fertilization birth in the United States, died on July 31, 2015; and
WHEREAS, Howard Jones was born at home in Baltimore in 1910, and the obstetrician who delivered him would later become his father-in-law; he married Georgeanna Seegar in 1940 after a long courtship during which they both studied medicine; and
WHEREAS, Howard Jones attended Friends School of Baltimore and earned a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College in 1931; he then entered medical school and received a degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1935; and
WHEREAS, during World War II, Howard Jones served in the United States Army’s 5th Auxiliary Surgical Group; at the end of the war, he returned to Johns Hopkins University, completed his medical residency, and soon became a highly respected surgeon and teacher at the school; and
WHEREAS, for more than 50 years, Howard Jones and his wife worked side by side, researching, diagnosing, and treating pelvic, gynecological, and reproductive disorders; Howard Jones developed several innovative surgical procedures and also was a well-regarded cancer specialist; and
WHEREAS, in 1978, after he and his wife had reached the mandatory retirement age at Johns Hopkins University, Howard Jones accepted a position at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) in Norfolk; and in 1979, he and his wife opened the nation’s first in vitro fertilization program there; and
WHEREAS, in 1981, the EVMS clinic’s work, under the guidance of Howard Jones, resulted in the nation’s first successful pregnancy through in vitro fertilization, and the subsequent birth—in December of that year—of a healthy baby girl; and
WHEREAS, as a result of the groundbreaking research and medical therapies developed under the supervision of Howard Jones at EVMS, infertility has been successfully treated in thousands of women in the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world; and
WHEREAS, since that medical breakthrough, the EVMS Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine has become an international leader in developing in vitro fertilization technology and trains reproductive endocrinologists from around the world; and
WHEREAS, Howard Jones was a member of many professional organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Fertility Society; he also was awarded honorary membership in more than 20 foreign scientific societies; and
WHEREAS, the many honors that were given to Howard Jones include the Distinguished Service Award from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a fellowship ad eundem in England’s Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, and the Medal of the College of France; and
WHEREAS, Howard Jones’s legacy lives on in the work of medical professionals in the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world who successfully treat infertility on a daily basis, in the lives of mothers and families, and in the children whose very existence is the result of decades of research, technological advances, and careful patient care undertaken by Howard Jones; and
WHEREAS, Howard Jones, who was predeceased by his wife, Georgeanna, will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by his children, Georgeanna, Howard III, and Lawrence, and their families; and by many other family members, friends, colleagues, and the medical profession, which has benefited in countless ways from his many discoveries and medical treatments; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of Howard Wilbur Jones, Jr., M.D., of Portsmouth, an esteemed and groundbreaking physician who, with his wife, was responsible for the first in vitro fertilization birth in the United States; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Howard Wilbur Jones, Jr., M.D., as an expression of the House of Delegates’ respect for his memory.
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 77
WHEREAS, Howard Wilbur Jones, Jr., M.D., of Portsmouth, a world-renowned pioneer in reproductive medicine, who, together with his wife, was responsible for the first in vitro fertilization birth in the United States, died on July 31, 2015; and
WHEREAS, Howard Jones was born at home in Baltimore in 1910, and the obstetrician who delivered him would later become his father-in-law; he married Georgeanna Seegar in 1940 after a long courtship during which they both studied medicine; and
WHEREAS, Howard Jones attended Friends School of Baltimore and earned a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College in 1931; he then entered medical school and received a degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1935; and
WHEREAS, during World War II, Howard Jones served in the United States Army’s 5th Auxiliary Surgical Group; at the end of the war he returned to Johns Hopkins University, completed his medical residency, and soon became a highly respected surgeon and teacher at the school; and
WHEREAS, for more than 50 years, Howard Jones and his wife worked side by side, researching, diagnosing, and treating pelvic, gynecological, and reproductive disorders; Howard Jones developed several innovative surgical procedures and also was a well-regarded cancer specialist; and
WHEREAS, in 1978, after he and his wife had reached the mandatory retirement age at Johns Hopkins University, Howard Jones accepted a position at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) in Norfolk; and in 1979, he and his wife opened the nation’s first in vitro fertilization program there; and
WHEREAS, in 1981, the EVMS clinic’s work, under the guidance of Howard Jones, resulted in the nation’s first successful pregnancy through in vitro fertilization, and the subsequent birth—in December of that year—of a healthy baby girl; and
WHEREAS, as a result of the groundbreaking research and medical therapies developed under the supervision of Howard Jones at EVMS, infertility has been successfully treated in thousands of women in the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world; and
WHEREAS, since that medical breakthrough, the EVMS Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine has become an international leader in developing in vitro fertilization technology and trains reproductive endocrinologists from around the world; and
WHEREAS, Howard Jones was a member of many professional organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Fertility Society; he also was awarded honorary membership in more than 20 foreign scientific societies; and
WHEREAS, the many honors that were given to Howard Jones include the Distinguished Service Award from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a fellowship ad eundem in England’s Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, and the Medal of the College of France; and
WHEREAS, Howard Jones’s legacy lives on in the work of medical professionals in the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world who successfully treat infertility on a daily basis, in the lives of mothers and families, and in the children whose very existence is the result of decades of research, technological advances, and careful patient care undertaken by Howard Jones; and
WHEREAS, Howard Jones, who was predeceased by his wife, Georgeanna, will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by his children, Georgeanna, Howard III, and Lawrence, and their families; and by many other family members, friends, colleagues, and the medical profession, which has benefited in countless ways from his many discoveries and medical treatments; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of Howard Wilbur Jones, Jr., M.D., of Portsmouth, an esteemed and groundbreaking physician who, with his wife, was responsible for the first in vitro fertilization birth in the United States; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Howard Wilbur Jones, Jr., M.D., as an expression of the House of Delegates’ respect for his memory.