Record details
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I was fortunate to be born in Bullard, Texas, to great parents. My dad bought a drug store there in 1920 and my mom was his devoted assistant. Mom and dad were avid readers and encouraged their children to study and learn. But until I entered TJC at the age of 16, Bullard was the center of my life.
I received a scholarship as class Valedictorian, so I did not need to pay for registration (which was $50 a semester). When I registered at TJC, I was a “country girl who’d come to town.” I was able to ride the yellow school bus, which made stops in Whitehouse, Bullard and Troup. It was a great experience because all of the passengers were country kids from small high schools and we really felt like outsiders. Due to financial difficulties, the bus was not available during my sophomore year, so I used our family car (our only one).
I had not had a single science subject at BHS and my only science knowledge came watching and talking with my father in the pharmacy. I was otherwise totally illiterate! But that only lasted the first six weeks at TJC, because the Tyler kids were so good to me and the teachers were awesome!
Mr. J.C. Henderson was my hero and he made biology and chemistry so interesting that I knew I was on my way into pre-med. I had known from age 12 that I wanted to be a doctor, but Mr. Henderson sealed my commitment. My other wonderful teachers included Mr. Poston (algebra and trig), Miss Mildred Howell (French and sponsor of Phi Theta Kappa), Lucia Douglas (psychology), Mabel Williams (physics) and Alene Brandenburg (English).
TJC opened a new world for me, and I know that I could not have survived at UT Austin if I had not had TJC for two years. It prepared me to learn so much and to be able to be accepted at UTMB in only three years instead of four. I was not at UT long enough to qualify for Phi Beta Kappa, but was in Iota Sigma Pi (chemistry) and the pre-med club. I graduated receive summa cum laude (thanks to TJC).
My greatest achievements at TJC were being third in my graduating class and being voted “Rose of TJC” which was a great surprise. I have encouraged all of my children, my friend’s children, and anyone I knew to spend their first two years at TJC.
Three of my four children attended TJC and Dan Roper M.D., would have, except he was accepted to U.S. Air Force Academy. All of my grandchildren (except two who lived in Florida) are graduates of TJC. Six of them now work in medical fields, following the great family tradition. My brother, Dr. O.L. Ferrell, Jr., also went to TJC and finished UTMB after four years in the USAF as a pilot during WW II.
I was fortunate to serve my internship at Parkland Hospital (our group of graduates at Parkland was 12 males and 1 female and all of the males had to report for active duty upon graduation). It was a wonderful internship (during the polio epidemic and before penicillin). Since they had no intern quarters for females, I stayed in a patient’s room. I spent any time off in the E.R. and was able to go on many ambulance rides.
My first rotation at Parkland was Male GU (which I knew nothing about). A male RN there challenged me by letting me know that the hospital CEO had ordered me to the unit because he thought I wouldn’t be able to handle it. That male RN said, “Just show him” – and we did.
After Parkland, I received a Pediatrics residency at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, and it was a great experience. But, after my husband returned from combat, I was ready to leave Dallas (with our newborn son) and practice family medicine in Bullard, so I started my practice in the back of my father’s drug store (which was my second home) on June 12, 1947.
My practice has been very rewarding, and I have not had to deal with competition and have had so many wonderful experiences with patients and families. During the early days - before paved roads - I made many house calls.
I really did not want to retire from active practice, but when the computers, etc. came, I knew it was time for me to stop because I’m computer illiterate!
Now I’m happy to participate in our wonderful Bullard Area Seniors Program which serves anyone regardless of race, religion or politics and our Mission House which ministers to area citizens (16- 65) who are un-insured and indigent.
I am very impressed with all the advances in medicine and the many brilliant, capable and compassionate young doctors. They’re facing problems I never had. I hope things will come about where we can have trained people for families and some day that physicians and nurse practitioners and PAs will not be so burdened with huge debt when they are ready to begin their practice.I am glad to see so many students graduate from TJC and go to work in health sciences or complete medical degrees. TJC continues to be a great place to learn and grow, just like it was for this country girl 72 years ago.
- Biography
- TJC Hero and Friend Dr. Marjorie Roper practiced family medicine in Bullard for 60 years (1947-2007). She served as a part time physician at Rusk State Hospital (1968-1987), a physician at VA hospital in Biloxi, Miss. (1946-1947), and served in maternal and child welfare in Austin (1946). She was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni award at TJC and was recognized as the Oldest Practicing Physician in East Texas in 2006. She still serves as a physician at Christus House Mission Clinic in Bullard.