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Doctor's legacy reflected in community 
HUMANITARIAN: Dr. James L. Dickey, back row third from the left, received the Most Outstanding Citizen of the Year award in 1952. Making national headlines, Dickey’s story was told in the October 24, 1953 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Dickey died May 18, 1959 but his influences still lives on in 2007. |
By Melissa Kanz Fifty-four years ago Dr. James Lee Dickey made national headlines and the Saturday Evening Post when he received the honor of Most Outstanding Citizen in Taylor. Years later his influence and prominance in the history of the black community throughout East Williamson County still lives on. The following is an excerpt taken from an issue of The Shining Star, a small African- American newspaper in Taylor in 1959 at the time of Dickey's death: “Dr. Dickey made world wide news in 1952 when he was named Taylor's outstanding citizen, primarily for his 32 years of service in the advancement of the health of his people. He came to Taylor in 1921 to help support the nine children in the family and ‘remained to do his life work,' as he put it. The doctor's accomplishments in health were many. When the great epidemic of typhoid fever struck in 1933, he persuaded the city commission to open one hydrant in each section of the city where poor people who had been getting their water from Bull Branch could get germ-free water. He organized a campaign of education which enlisted the aid of Negro churches, schools and clubs to teach the people where the fever was contracted and how it spread. Dr. Dickey gave typhoid injections to every Negro adult and child who could be persuaded to take them. More than 3,000 injections were given. Dr. Dickey persuaded the city to let him use an empty rooming house at 401 Bland street for treatment of patients. When the epidemic was over in 1935 he rebuilt the house into a modern 15-bed hospital. He met the diarrhea problem by educating mothers in the proper feeding of infants and children and the installation of many pit toilets and a few sewer connections. He worked through women's clubs selling the idea of the importance of prenatal care and later a prenatal clinic was set up where expectant mothers could have free examinations and advice. The tuberculosis problem was largely solved when the state opened the tubercular hospital for Negroes at Kerrville. The doctor sent local cases there as soon as they were discovered. To cope with the venereal diseases problem, Dr. Dickey opened a clinic to give enough treatment to render each case noninfectious and to cure the disease. Dr. Dickey has always seen to it that his people understood and cooperated in the civic movements to better the town. Without Dr. Dickey's help, local bond issues to improve the town might not have been successful. Among other things, he was largely responsible for school improvements, recreational facilities and a housing project. A native of Waco, Dr. Dickey has always been considered a ‘guiding light' to the negroes of Taylor in all their problems. His knowledge, experience, understanding and advice was accepted almost without questions by his people, so deep was their faith in him. Dr. Dickey was opposed to racial agitation, worked for the betterment of his people on the local level. He was quoted as saying ‘Race relations are getting better each year. The only thing we need is just time for the races to understand and to know each other.' Dr. Dickey was a graduate of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn. He was a member of the Southwest Medical Association, the Lone Star State Medical Association and the National Medical Association. He attended high school in his native Waco and attended Tillotson College in Austin before enrolling in Meharry Medical College. He received his degree in 1921. Commenting on his work in Taylor when he received the outstanding citizen award in 1952, Dr. Dickey said, ‘I may have found a place where I could have made more money, but I am certain I could not have found a place where I could have been of more service to my people nor where my service would have been more appreciated than right here in Taylor.'” Many people in Taylor believe Dickey's accomplishments still make an impact today. “Yes, I do believe that his accomplishments made an impact then and still serve as a reminder now that Taylor was progressive in the early 1950s. I believe that it was very important for Taylor to have an African-American scholar who helped his race and his community with his service to African-Americans and his service in the community,” the Rev. Tony Sorrells said. Sorrells is a pastor at Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church and was one of the last babies to be delivered by Dickey. ”I am very proud that he delivered me and he still serves as a positive role model for African-Americans in Taylor,” Sorrells said. Taylor resident Eva Clark said she remembers Dickey being very active in the school and in helping the school construct indoor plumbing. “He was a person that would help anybody especially during the school year,” she said. Clark said Dickey was also an advocate for the black community. “He'd step in and talk for the community,” she said. “The work that he did in the day opened up many doors for the African-African community, not only in Taylor but in many areas,” Jennifer Harris, a spokeswoman for Blackshear/O.L. Price Ex-Students Association, said. “He worked with city management to bring many social as well as health related matters to light during a time that we could not participate,” she said. Harris remembers Dickey stitching up her foot when she was a small child. She also has memories of visiting his office for an asthma-related illness. Harris said Dickey was very influential for the good works he did in the community. Harris said from what she's been told, even though Dickey was awarded Citizen of the Year, he was still treated like a second-class citizen. “What I'm told, even though he had his influences, he was still treated as an African-American and had to go through the ‘black door' even though he was a man of that stature,” she said. Harris said Dickey was a well-respected man. “His voice was respected,” she said. “If it weren't for the Dr. Dickey's of the world - we wouldn't be where we are today.”
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