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Navajo Nation Reports Death of CAPT Taylor McKenzie, USPHS (Ret.) |
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CAPT Taylor McKenzie, USPHS (Ret.), a former vice president of the Navajo Nation
and a distinguished physician who served as the tribe's first medical officer, died
on Friday, 13 April 2007 in Albuquerque, NM. He was 76.
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CAPT McKenzie graduated from Wheaton College in1954 and earned his medical degree
from Baylor in 1958. He completed his surgery residency at Pontiac General Hospital
in Michigan. In 1964, he became a member of the Commissioned Corps
of the U.S. Public Health Service (Corps). After a 30-year career as a physician and surgeon with the
Corps on the Navajo Nation, he retired in 1995. CAPT McKenzie continued his medical
practice part-time until he ran for vice president of the Navajo Nation in 1998.
He was vice president from 1999 to 2003 and was appointed as the first Navajo medical
officer in December 2005.
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Navajo President Joe Shirley, Jr. said McKenzie was someone all American Indians
could look up to. "We all need to pay homage to his leadership," Shirley said. "Through
his contributions, we have grown and succeeded, and our nation has become known
as great."
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