Initiated in the fall of 2013, this lecture series honors the legacy of J. Richard Williams, Sr, MD. Dr. Williams, a Tulane University graduate, was a well-known and well-loved physician in Selma, Alabama. After graduating from Tulane, he completed his residency at Vaughan Memorial Hospital, now the Vaughan-Smitherman Museum, and became the primary physician in Selma, where he practiced for many years. “He would get up and make night calls and take other responsibilities during World War II,” his wife Annie Laurie remembered. “He was very unselfish and giving of himself.” Along with serving as Selma’s primary physician, Dr. Williams also performed extensive studies in cancer, which were later published in the New England Journal. His work, Annie Laurie said, is something he did with pride and dedication. “He loved medicine,” she said. “He was the kind of doctor who would do anything for his patient.” Because of his great dedication to patient service, the lecture series honoring Dr. Williams focuses on the art of creating a compassionate and trusting relationship between patient and doctor.
