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Celebration to honor Dr. Wally, his Legacy
by
Catherine
Dominguez |
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While
Dr. Walter D. Wilkerson Jr. may be a soft-spoken man, his legacy in
Montgomery County can be heard loud and clear. |
Jason Fochtman
Dr. Walter “Wally” Wilkerson celebrates 50 years this year
as chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Party. The
MCRP will honor him Oct. 9 during an event at the Lone Star
Convention Center
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Known
to most as “Dr. Wally,” Wilkerson, 84, is celebrating 50 years as
chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Party; and the retired
doctor is credited with making the county a GOP powerhouse. |
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“I can’t go anywhere in Texas without Republican leaders asking about
Dr. Wally,” said U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands. “Like many
others, I would not be serving in public office without his support,
friendship and wise counsel. |
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“He and his wife Neddie Jane, who has been with him every step of the
way, are simply remarkable people.” |
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But Wilkerson’s tenure at the helm of the MCRP wasn’t something on
his bucket list when he launched his medical career in Conroe under the
wing of Dr. Deane Sadler in 1958. But soon after, Wilkerson said he was
“bitten by the bug” and found him-self very interested in politics. |
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“At the time, everybody in the county was a Democrat,” he said.
“That’s just the way it was. But they were very conservative-minded
people. They didn’t know it until later that they were really
Republicans.” |
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Members of the Montgomery County Republican Party will honor
Wilkerson and his dedication to the party and the county at a special
celebration beginning at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 9 at the Lone Star Convention
Center. Deadline to order tickets is Oct. 1. |
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“At 50 years as GOP county chairman, Dr. Wilkerson stands atop his
peers in Texas and the nation,” Brady said. “Because he cares so deeply
about Montgomery County and our nation, he is beloved, respected and
widely admired by presidents and precinct chairmen alike.” |
The early years
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Wilkerson grew up in Bryan, where his father Walter D. Wilkerson Sr.
served as superintendent for the Bryan Independent School District. In
1949, his family moved to Conroe when his father became superintendent
for the Conroe Independent School District. |
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“By the time they moved here, I was in college at Texas A&M
University,” he said. |
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Following his graduation from Texas A&M in 1951 and from medical
school in 1955, Wilkerson did his internship at the Veteran Assistance
Hospital in Houston. However, due to the Doctor’s Draft Act, he enlisted
in the military in 1956. |
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The Doctor’s Draft Act was a federal statute providing for the
induction of members of the medical profession into military service for
assignment to the Medical Corps as commissioned officers. |
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“I had a wife and a small child and no money, so I thought I might as
well get my two years done and get on my feet financially,” said
Wilkerson, adding he had his hopes set on becoming a part of the U.S.
Air Force. |
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Wilkerson was advised to put his third branch of service pick first
because it was uncommon for men to get their first choice. So Wilkerson
listed the U.S. Navy first, followed by the Army and then the Air Force. |
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“I was thinking I’ll probably get the Air Force. Nope. I got the
Navy,” he laughed, adding he was assigned to the USS Hooper Island. |
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Wilkerson was shipped out to the Southwest Pacific, where the last
atomic weapons were tested. |
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“I was aboard this ship with all this equipment, just a dentist and
myself,” said Wilkerson, noting the ship had about 600 crew members. “I
witnessed probably eight aboveground atomic explosions and about two or
three underwater explosions.” |
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Discharged in 1958, Wilkerson and his family returned to Conroe,
where they lived with his parents. |
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The USS Hooper Island was
decommissioned July 15, 1959, according to NavSource.org.
The ship was struck from the Naval Register in July 1960 and then
scrapped in 1970. |
Making a home
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Once back in Conroe, Wilkerson started to look for a city to open his
own family medical practice. |
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“My father said, ‘Before you make up your mind, I want you to be sure
and talk to Dr. Sadler.’ He happened to be on the school board at the
time,” Wilkerson said. |
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With that advice, Wilkerson met with Sadler; and before long, the two
were working together and Wilkerson and his family were settling in to
make Conroe their home. |
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“He held out his hand, I held out mine, and we shook hands,”
Wilkerson said. “I never signed a piece of paper. Back in those days, a
handshake was your contract.” |
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Wilkerson said Sadler was instrumental in the success of his medical
practice. |
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“Dr. Sadler was a unique person,” he said. “He was my mentor. I miss
him; he taught me a lot. He had a tremendous business mind and he was a
great physician.” |
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County Judge Alan B. Sadler, son of Dr. Sadler, said he remembers the
first time he met Wilkerson. |
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“I was home with the chicken pox when I was 11 years old,” said Judge
Sadler, adding Wilkerson had come to his house to meet with his father.
“The relationship (between his family and the Wilkersons) transcends
politics.” |
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Sadler credits Wilkerson with growing the Republican Party in the
county to where it is today. |
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“I think that goes without saying,” he said. “There is no doubt about
it. I’m glad he has stayed on as long as he has.” |
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Sadler added the next person to take over for Wilkerson “will have
extremely large shoes to fill.” |
Going red
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With a successful medical practice, Wilkerson became active in the
community and met Jim Wester. |
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“We became friends,” he said. “One day, he called me and said, ‘The
Chamber of Commerce is having a political action seminar on Saturday;
let’s go.’” |
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Wilkerson said he was mildly interested in politics and noted his
first vote was in the 1956 election. He then met John Dowdy, of Athens.
Dowdy was a member of the House of Representatives from the 7th District
of Texas from 1953-67 and then served as a congressman for the 2nd
District of Texas until 1973. |
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“He was a real conservative guy and he needed someone to run his
campaign in the county, and we agreed to do it,” Wilkerson said. “We
helped him get re-elected twice. But as I got to know people in the
Democratic Party and their philosophy, I thought, ‘I don’t think I
belong here.’” |
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In 1962, Phillip Dickinson, a Sun Oil Company engineer, was appointed
as county chair of the Montgomery County Republican Party. That same
year was the first Republican primary election in the county, where 38
people voted. |
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However, Dickinson was transferred to another area for work, leaving
the spot of chairman up for election. |
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Wilkerson switched parties in 1963 and became a Republican. In 1964,
he was elected as the chairman of the Montgomery County Republican
Party. |
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“There had never been a local Republican candidate for any local
office,” he said. “I decided if I was going to build a Republican
organization, I’m going to have to build from the bottom up. So I talked
four people into running for local office. The Democratic chair said,
‘You won’t get 10 percent of the vote.’ |
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“I said, ‘We got to start somewhere.’ Our goal was to create a
two-party system.” |
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In 1978, Montgomery County elected Ruth Ruffin as justice of the
peace as the first Republican candidate to win office in the county. |
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“It continued to be a very Democratic county until the late 1980s,”
he said. “It wasn’t until 1988 that the number of people voting in the
Republican primary exceeded the number of the Democratic Party. |
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“In 1990, (the county) just turned over completely.” |
Looking
ahead
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Wilkerson said he is more than confident that the Republican Party
will continue to reign in Montgomery County. He added he expects to see
big changes in politics in the upcoming years. |
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“There are a lot of people frustrated and they have a right to be
frustrated,” he said. “Our government is not operating as it should be.
And I’m not saying that is totally the Democrats’ fault; but right now,
they are the ones in power. |
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“I think there are going to be some changes.” |
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Wilkerson said although he isn’t looking to retire in the next couple
of terms, he said he does have someone in mind to fill his shoes when he
decides to step away from the elected position. |
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However, he didn’t want to name that person. Wilkerson said he enjoys
staying active with the organization. |
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“I don’t know how I got so involved,” he said. “It’s like golfing or
fishing, I just got involved and I really enjoyed it.” |
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May Etie, with the Montgomery County Republican Women, said Wilkerson
has been the longest-reigning elected official because he is so good at
working with people. |
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“That may be an overlap from his doctoring skills, his bedside
manners,” she said. “Several have come in and tried to put him out of
that position and none have measured up. I think his personality has
kept him in there for 50 years.” |
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Etie said Wilkerson is great at getting along with people but won’t
compromise his values. |
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“He exudes confidence,” she said. “He knows the Republican
philosophy.” |
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For ticket
information about the Oct. 9 event honoring Wilkerson, call Montgomery
County Republican Party Headquarters at 936-441-5621, email info@mcrp.org or
vist www.mcrp.org. |
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Conroe Courier |
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September 21, 2014 |
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