Dr. F. Roosevelt "Rosey" Gilliam III, Jonesboro electrophysiologist who practices at Cardiology Associates in Jonesboro, has been recognized as this year’s Bill Hartman Award recipient at the University of Georgia in Athens.
The physician, who has been on staff at St. Bernards Medical Center since 2006, was recognized at the Georgia-Vanderbilt University football game on Sept. 22 and will receive the award at a special ceremony at the university in the spring.
Named for the late Bill Hartman, Georgia's long-time kicking coach and chairman of the Georgia Student Educational Fund, the Hartman Award is one of the highest honors given to a former UGA student athlete. It has been presented annually since 1992 and recognizes former Georgia student athletes who have demonstrated excellence in their professions and/or in service to others with 20 or more years of superior performance after graduation.
Only former varsity athletes who have received baccalaureate degrees from Georgia are considered for the award.
Gilliam was a two-sport athlete at Georgia, playing football and running track. He is a native of Lancaster, S.C., who graduated cum laude from Georgia with a degree in chemistry and biochemistry in 1978. During his undergraduate studies, Gilliam was named the top defensive back for the Georgia freshmen team in 1975 and finished his career with four interceptions.
A press release from the University of Georgia indicates that his most notable accomplishments came in the classroom, however, as he earned Presidential Scholar and National Achievement Scholar honors in 1975. Gilliam enrolled in the University's honors program, in 1978 earned recognition for outstanding academic achievement and community service and was a member of the Blue Key Honor Society.
After completing undergraduate studies, Gilliam earned his Medical Degree from Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C. He completed a residency and a fellowship there and did advanced studies in the field of electrophysiology at Duke.
Gilliam is a past president of the Association of Black Cardiologists, where he received the "Heroes Award" for his commitment to teach and mentor young physicians.
"Dr. Gilliam is very deserving of the Bill Hartman Award," said Georgia Director of Athletics Greg McGarity said.
"Not only is Dr. Gilliam a renowned cardiologist who has saved lives and increased the quality of life for so many, but as a mentor, he has guaranteed that his field will be in good hands for years to come. Like Coach Hartman, Dr. Gilliam has dedicated his life to helping others.
“Coach Hartman … would be very proud of the work Dr. Gilliam has done and continues to do for the health and well-being of countless individuals."
Locally Gilliam has been a champion of screening secondary school and college athletes for heart rhythm problems that put them at risk of suffering sudden cardiac death.
One of the most widely known Hartman Award winners is former NFL quarterback Fran Tarkenton (1992).