SENATE RESOLUTION

                         1992-8721

By Senator Snyder

     WHEREAS, Excellence in medical research and medical care is the backbone of and essential to a healthy society; and

     WHEREAS, Washington seeks to recognize Washingtonians who have excelled in the pursuit of innovations in medical research; and

     WHEREAS, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has provided decades of critically needed medical care for cancer patients in Washington; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. E. Donnall Thomas of Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his pioneering work in bone marrow transplantation; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Thomas' discoveries are crucial for those tens of thousands of severely ill patients who either can be cured, or be given a decent life when other treatment methods are without success; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Thomas, director emeritus of the Hutchinson Center's Division of Clinical Research and professor emeritus at the University of Washington, pioneered the bone marrow transplant procedure, the therapy that is now considered the best treatment -- and the only hope for survival -- for some patients with leukemia and certain other blood-related and genetic disorders; and

     WHEREAS, As Director for the Hutchinson Center's clinical division for more than seventeen years, Dr. Thomas headed the largest marrow transplant program in the world; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Thomas received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1946, and went on to complete his internship and residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts;and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Thomas began investigating marrow transplantation in the 1950's while at MIT, he was the first to show that marrow could be safely infused into a human patient, and the first to treat acute leukemia patients with marrow transplantation; and

     WHEREAS, In 1963, Dr. Thomas organized and became the first head of the University of Washington School of Medicine's Division of Oncology; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Thomas is a member of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences and has received numerous awards and honors;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the President and the members of the Washington State Senate honor and praise the contribution of Dr. Thomas to the citizens of the State of Washington and the world; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of the resolution to Dr. Thomas.