Statement on the Passing of Thomas W. Dortch, Jr.
February 16, 2023
On behalf of the Sullivan Alliance to Transform the Health Professions, we extend to Carole and the family of Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. our condolences on his passing.
Tommy will be missed by all of us. I had many positive interactions with Tommy over the years as he worked to improve our world.
When I was appointed founding dean at Morehouse School of Medicine in 1975, Tommy was a senior staff member for U.S. Senator Sam Nunn. Tommy supported our efforts to build a foundation for this new medical school (the only predominantly Black school of medicine to be founded in the United States in the 20th century) by helping us recruit Senator Nunn to serve on the school’s board of trustees. Senator Nunn helped Morehouse School of Medicine secure several major federal grants from the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In 2008, as a member of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Tommy supported the formation of a non-profit corporation for the governance of Grady Memorial Hospital, a crucial development to save this institution and improve its finances. This preserved its legacy of health services to the citizens of Fulton and Dekalb counties. Tommy also was an active member of the board of this new, non-profit corporation, giving helpful and appropriate oversight to the trustees and senior management.
Tommy sponsored an annual meeting of Fulton and Dekalb counties to enable citizens to learn about important health issues affecting our communities, such as HIV/AIDS, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, the EBOLA epidemic, the COVID-19 pandemic and others.
Tommy was also a leader of 100 Black Men of America. He founded the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Hall of Fame and raised funds to support Black colleges and scholarships for Black students.
We salute Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. We thank him for his service to his fellow citizens and we cherish his memory.
Louis W. Sullivan, M.D.
The Sullivan Alliance