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James
Walter Long,
physician and
mayor of Port
Arthur, Texas,
was born on
February 9,
1900, in
Belton, South
Carolina, the
son of William
Monroe and
Fannie Leonora
(Horton) Long.
He received a
bachelor of
arts degree
with honors
from Furman
University
(Greenville,
South
Carolina) in
1919 and a
medical degree
from Tulane
University in
1926. After an
internship at
Charity
Hospital, he
began the
general
practice of
medicine at
Port Arthur in
1928. He then
moved
successively
to Gadsden,
Alabama, and
Del Rio,
Texas.
From
July 1930
until December
1951 Long
served as
medical
director of
the Gulf Oil
Corporationqv
refinery in
Port Arthur.
He was a
member of the
surgical staff
of St. Mary's
Hospital from
1930 to 1941
and served as
president of
the medical
staff of
Baptist
Hospital. He
was an
infantryman
during World
War Iqv
and a
physician with
the United
States Army
Medical Corps
during World
War II.qv
In 1945 he
served as a
surgeon on Iwo
Jima. He
received
several awards
for
meritorious
service during
the two world
wars. He
continued
military
service as a
lieutenant
colonel in the
Reserve Corps.
He
was a member
of numerous
professional
societies,
including the
Jefferson
County Medical
Society, the
Texas Medical
Association,qv
the American
Medical
Association,
the Southern
Medical
Association,
the Texas
Railway and
Traumatic
Surgical
Association,
the Industrial
Medical
Association,
the American
Academy of
General
Practice, and
the American
Academy of
Occupational
Medicine. He
served as
president of
the Jefferson
County Medical
Society in
1940. He was
chairman of
the health
committee of
the Petroleum
Section of the
National
Safety Council
from 1938
until 1941 and
vice chairman
of the medical
advisory
committee of
the American
Petroleum
Institute
during 1952.
He also wrote
several papers
dealing with
industrial
medicine.
Long
served on the
Port Arthur
City
Commission for
two terms. He
acted as mayor
pro tem in
1947 and
served as
mayor between
1948 and 1950.
He was a
director of
the YMCA for
twelve years,
the Salvation
Army for three
years, the
Chamber of
Commerce for
three years,
and the local
Red Cross
chapter for
one year. He
was a member
of the Lions
Club, the
Masons, the
Fraternal
Order of
Eagles, and
the First
Baptist
Church;
commander of
the American
Legionqv
post; and a
Shriner. Long
married Ruth
McDow, and
they had a
son. Long had
just moved to
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania,
to become
medical
director of
Gulf Oil
Corporation,
when he died
suddenly of a
heart attack
in Pittsburgh
on February
17, 1952.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Beaumont Enterprise,
February 18,
1952. Beaumont
Journal,
February 18,
1952. Texas
State Journal
of Medicine,
May 1952.
Chester
R. Burns
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