H 5050

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 5050
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
A house RESOLUTION
TO EXPRESS THE
PROFOUND SORROW OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES UPON THE PASSING
OF REVEREND DR. ELIJAH WASHINGTON SR. OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, THE FIRST AFRICAN
AMERICAN BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL CHIEF OF STAFF AND FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN
OB/GYN IN THE LOWCOUNTRY, TO HONOR HIS COMMITMENT TO HEALTH AND FAITH, AND TO EXTEND
DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS LOVING FAMILY AND MANY FRIENDS.
Whereas, the South
Carolina House of Representatives was saddened to learn of the death of Reverend
Dr. Elijah Washington Sr. at the age of eighty-three on August 15, 2025. Born
in Sheldon on March 25, 1942, he was the son of the late Paul and Maria
Washington and received his early education from Sheldon and Dale Elementary
schools. He graduated from Robert Smalls High School in Beaufort and earned a
bachelor's degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, a Doctor of
Medicine from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, and a Doctor of
Ministry from Bethany Theological Seminary in Dothan, Alabama; and
Whereas, after serving
honorably in the United States Navy, he was discharged with a permanent rank of
Lieutenant Commander. His career with Beaufort Jasper Comprehensive Health
Services (BJCHS), Inc., began in March 1971, and in July the same year, he was granted
leave to pursue independent study of sickle cell anemia and further his medical
education. He received specialty training at the College of Medicine and
Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark, New Jersey; and
Whereas, because of the
services Dr. Washington rendered, BJCHS has named the period of March 1971
through July 1983 as "The Elijah Washington Era," which is one of the most
notable segments of its rich history. He was the only OB/GYN working with BJCHS
from 1975 to 1983. During his extensive career with BJCHS, he also held the
position of medical director. He opened a private OB/GYN practice from July
1983 to December 1995, which became part of the BJCHS family in January 1996;
thus, he started his career and ended his practice with BJCHS; and
Whereas, Dr. Washington
joined the medical staff at Beaufort Memorial Hospital in 1971. He served as
chief of staff and chair of the Department of OB/GYN, the first African
American chief of staff and the first African American OB/GYN in the
Lowcountry. He was named Physician of the Year by the South Carolina Primary
Care Association in 1998. He was honored with the Beaufort Memorial Hospital
Distinguished Physician award in 2005, an award that recognizes physicians
whose service and leadership bring honor to their profession, Beaufort Memorial
Hospital, and the community; and
Whereas, Dr. Washington
was so well respected that the Sheldon Health Center was renamed the Elijah
Washington Medical Center in his honor in 1980. He was a member of such
professional organizations as the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
S.C. OB/GYN Society, S.C. Medical Association, Southern Medical Association,
National Medical Association, and American Medical Association. He was a fellow
in the American College of OB/GYN. He coauthored several articles for the Journal
of Medical Society of New Jersey and Obstetrics and Gynecology; and
Whereas, Reverend
Washington, pastor emeritus of the First African Baptist Church of St. Helena
Island, was a member of Old Ashley Baptist Association and Beaufort County
Ministerial Alliance. He was Camp 21 commander of the Sons of the Union
Veterans of the Civil War and a member of Grand Army of the Republic Hall and
of Omega Alpha Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; and
Whereas, he and his
beloved wife, Joyce E. Brown Washington, were married for thirty-three years. He
reared six fine children: the late Titus Washington and Ayesha Fatima
Washington, Franz Vergil Washington, Ahmad Shariyf Washington, Elijah
Washington Jr., and Jordan Ethan Washington. His children blessed him with the
affection of loving grandchildren: Titus Wesley Washington, Hasheem Anwar
Washington, Jalen Samuel Washington, and Kennedy Rose-Marie Washington. Ivy M.
Carter, his cherished stepdaughter, added to that blessing with a step-granddaughter,
JaeLynn Carter; and
Whereas, the South
Carolina House of Representatives is grateful for the life and legacy of Elijah
Washington and for the example of service and devotion he set for all who knew
him. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the
South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, express their
profound sorrow upon the passing of Reverend Dr. Elijah Washington Sr. of
Beaufort County, the first African American Beaufort Memorial Hospital chief of
staff and the first African American OB/GYN in the Lowcountry, honor his
commitment to health and faith, and extend deepest sympathy to his loving
family and many friends.
Be it further resolved
that a copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Reverend Dr.
Elijah Washington Sr.
----XX----
This web page was last updated on January 29, 2026 at 10:48 AM