Douglas’ were fixtures in county

From Marion County Historical Commission

R.D., Willie Mae Douglas remembered as fixtures in Marion County

The Marion County Historical Commission contributed this report honoring the life and legacy of Dr. R.D. and Willie Mae Douglas.

“In this East Texas town, back in 1950s and 60s, where black residents for the most lived in the traditions of the old south, there was a black doctor and his wife who were the exceptions in every way. Dr. R.D. and Mrs. Douglas did so much for the total community with their hospital and nursing home that they were widely known in this part of the state by prominent white people and blacks of all classes,” wrote Julia Scott Reed, of the Dallas Morning News in 1969.

Dr. R.D. Douglas was a native of Marion County. He was born June 13, 1904 and died July 25, 1980. He was the son of John and Sophronia and grandson of Charles and Georgianna.

His grandfather bought the land in 1868 that became known as the Douglas Community or “the Douglas Bottoms.” The Douglas Christian Chapel on Hwy 43 still stands where Douglas’ family worshiped for several generations. His father had a shingle mill where Douglas labored until he left for college.

Douglas attended elementary school in the Douglas community. He graduated from the Jefferson Central High School under the tutorship of J.C. Pitts who encouraged him to continue his education.

After he graduated from Wiley College in Marshall, Douglas enrolled in the Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from medical school in 1942 with honors. He later established a scholarship fund at Meharry Medical College known as the R.D. Douglas and W.S. Quinland Award, which was presented to a student that showed proficiency in the study of pathology.

Douglas married Willie Mae Dickerson from Wolf City, Texas.

“Mrs. Douglas was an influence on his life working side by side with him with untiring energy and dignity,” he said.

Willie Mae was the Jeanes supervisor for the Marion County schools teaching children about health issues. R.D. would put a flower in the lapel of Willie Mae’s coat and R.D. had a distinguishing insignia, the Red Rose, which he always wore in the lapel of his white professional coat.

R.D. returned to Marion County to begin his medical practice in 1942. His office and clinic were upstairs in the two-story building on Walnut Street, which is across the street from the Three Rivers Antique store.

Many adults remember as children, the dark stairs they had to walk up to Dr. Douglas’ office to receive their school shots. Downstairs on the first floor were several businesses including Pearl Coverson’s barber shop, Donna Figures beauty shop, the washateria and a café.

In 1963, after 21 years, R.D. hired Charles Hampton to design and build the Douglas Memorial Hospital, which is the building on Walnut Street where Three River Antiques store is now located. The facility was dedicated in 1963 with Carr P. Collins of Dallas, Texas as the speaker.

“Dr. Douglas’s life was an example to American youth what can be accomplished if one has the will to reach some worthy objective,” Collins said.

An estimated 700 people were on hand for the grand opening.

The hospital had 25 beds, his office, examination rooms and a large kitchen also a public snack bar. The hospital employed 60 full-time and part-time workers and accepted patients without regard to color.

Later R.D. and Willie Mae built a 65-bed nursing home next to the hospital and began the first nursing school in Marion County. The first graduating class of the nursing school was in 1964. Mary Edmond, Cora Evans, Etlean Kelly, Earline McDonald and Mrs. Wilbur Jenkins were among the many nurses employed by R.D.

The facilities were a Godsend for the elderly and low-income people from Marion County and the entire northeast Texas area where they received excellent medical care. The hospital and nursing home not only provided excellent medical care but provided much needed employment for many local people who really needed jobs, without regard to color or financial status.

A tireless youth worker, Dr. Douglas’s favorite saying was, “There is nothing that you can make a man of except a boy.”

Dr. Douglas was the recipient of the Silver Beaver Citation and a 32nd Degree Mason.

“Marion County was fortunate to have a civic-minded man like Dr. Douglas who has given of himself unselfishly to his community,” then-Gov. John Connally.

In a personal letter from President Lyndon B. Johnson to Dr. Douglas he wrote, “What you have done is a tremendous and worthwhile effort and will always be remembered by Mrs. Johnson and me.”

R.D., along with Congressman Wright Patman, were instrumental in acquiring the federal grant to build the Jefferson Community Center for Marion County.