Dr. Catherine J. Roett
Dr. Catherine Roett, 1956
A native Houstonian, Dr. Catherine J. Roett, was born in 1923 and, after graduating from Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC in 1946, she stayed to do her internship at Freedman’s Hospital. She completed postgraduate work at University of Pennsylvania Medical School (1950-1951). Upon returning to Houston, she began her career as a pediatrician in the clinics of Jefferson Davis Hospital, making her the first black pediatrician in the city. Soon afterwards, Dr. Roett was admitted to the Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital staffs, which was quite an anomaly since it happened many years before integration and desegregation had taken noticeable shape. Dr. Roett made many contributions to Houston over the course of her career, especially through her care of hundreds of children’s health.
As the daughter of pioneering Houston physician Dr. Rupert O. Roett, Dr. Catherine Roett came from a tradition of helping others. As a child, she accompanied her father to National Medical Association meetings, where she met black doctors from around the country. Her mother strongly influenced Catherine’s decision to become a pediatrician. Her mother’s deep love for children served as an example that Catherine carried over into her professional life. Her two other biggest influences were Dr. Thelma Patten Law, Houston’s first black female physician, and Law’s husband, James H. Law, who taught Roett advanced physiology at Jack Yates High School.
When Dr. Roett opened her own practice in 1952, she shared an office with her father just a few blocks away from Riverside General Hospital. Her dad added more space after her graduation from Howard Medical School to provide for the eventual accommodation of his daughter’s practice. She remained in that location for the rest of her career.
“In addition to giving me office space,” Dr. Roett noted, “my father also referred patients to me and counseled me about setting up my practice. They didn’t teach you how to set up an office practice when I went to medical school.” In addition to Roett’s private practice, she served as chief of pediatrics at both Riverside General and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. She also established and administered the well-baby clinic at Riverside before it closed when a city health clinic offering similar services moved nearby. Additionally, she was a charter board member of the Harris County Children’s Protective Services and belonged to the American Academy of Pediatrics, Harris County Medical Society, Texas Medical Association, American Medical Association, and Lone Star State Medical Association. In her spare time, Dr. Roett was known to go to hospitals and visit sick patients.
Dr. Catherine Roett (L. standing) and Dr. Rupert O. Roett (R. standing), c. 1950. (Courtesy of Riverside General Hospital and Drs. Levi V. and Eula Perry)
Dr. Roett received many accolades for her accomplishments as a female physician and her contributions to the Houston medical field. In 1985, the Radcliffe Club of Houston named her a “Woman of Courage” and the following year, in December, she was elected to the Texas Black Women’s Hall of Fame at the Museum of African American Life and Culture in Dallas. In 1987, Houston’s March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation decided to launch its first “Salute to Babies” program, patterned after a similar campaign in Chicago. The local foundation wanted to stress the importance of good health for babies, something that Dr. Roett had been doing for years. As a result, they chose to name the program’s distinguished service award in Dr. Roett’s honor. The March of Dimes recognized her with this award May 15, 1987. In the years following, the honor bearing her name has been given to a person, group, or corporation dedicated to reducing infant mortality and birth defects and/or promoting healthy babies, especially within the black community.
Devoted not only to her career, Dr. Roett was very involved with her church. An active member of St. James Episcopal Church in Houston’s Third Ward neighborhood, she served in several capacities, including director of the Altar Guild. A needlepoint cushion kneeler that she made as part of a project with her church can be seen at Houston’s Christ Church Cathedral downtown. She was married to Dr. Robert W. Reid, whose specialty also was pediatrics; he was a diplomat of the American Board of Pediatricians. When Dr. Roett died on August 29, 1997, a funeral service was held at St. James to celebrate her life and legacy in the local medical community.
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