May 31, 2001
Contact: Steve Townsend, (313) 577-7727, stownsen@med.wayne.edu

WSU School of Medicine to graduate 200 new doctors

State senator and longtime Detroit volunteer also to be honored

Next Wednesday will be a very special day for a senator, a nationally recognized volunteer and more than 200 new doctors as the Wayne State School of Medicine hosts its annual commencement ceremony at 2 p.m., June 7. In addition to celebrating the accomplishments of the Class of 2001, the 133-year-old medical school will recognize Michigan Sen. John J.H. Schwarz, MD, and longtime hospital volunteer Fannie Dell Peeples.

Miss Peeples, a Detroit Medical Center volunteer and member of the Detroit Receiving Hospital ethics committee, will receive the School of Medicine’s Distinguished Service Award. Born with a number of major skeletal abnormalities and orphaned at a young age, Miss Peeples spent her early years in foster care. She overcame early adversity to become an honor student and receive a scholarship to Missouri Lincoln University. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and was class valedictorian.

In 1986, she became a member of the Detroit Receiving Hospital ethics committee, made up primarily of doctors and other health-care professionals. Through self-education she has become a valued member of the committee for more than 15 years.

Her work has caught the attention of national and local media, community organizations and civic groups. She has been the subject of a photo tribute in Life Magazine, named one of People Magazine’s “Most Intriguing People,” celebrated as one of the “Outstanding Mothers of Detroit” in African American Parent Magazine, and selected “Michiganian of the Year” by The Detroit News. She has been presented the Community Service Award of the Randolph W. Wallace Sr. Kidney Research Foundation.

Dr. Schwarz, a 1964 alumnus of the School of Medicine, will receive an honorary doctorate degree. Dr. Schwarz has enjoyed a diverse and highly successful career as both a physician and public servant.

Opening his surgery practice in Battle Creek after graduation, Dr. Schwarz became the city’s mayor in 1985. Now in his fourth senate term, Dr. Schwarz serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, where he chairs the subcommittees on higher education and public health, among other appointments. He remains an advocate for positive legislation in higher education and health care and an active member of the WSU community as a member of the medical school’s Board of Visitors.

In contrast to the wealth of experiences that will be shared by Miss Peeples and Dr. Schwarz, the members of the Class of 2001 are just beginning their journey into the world of health care. The majority of class members – 64 percent – will continue their training in the state of Michigan, a point of great pride in the School of Medicine community. A select group of students will serve at nationally renowned institutions, such as Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Stanford University Medical Center and Baylor University Medical Center.

With more than 1,000 medical students, WSU is among the nation’s largest medical schools. Together with the Detroit Medical Center, the school is a leader in patient care and medical research in a number of areas including cancer, genetics, pediatrics and the neurosciences.