- Date Of Birth: June 3, 1953
- Date Of Death: May 23, 2018
- State: Texas
Dr. V.O. Speights, Jr. was born on June 3, 1953 in Crockett, TX. He was the only child of Vester Oats “Doc” and Agnes Louise (Anders) Speights. He spent his early childhood on the family cotton farm in Leon County, TX and moved to neighboring Houston County when he was eight. He graduated from Centerville High School and attended Texas A & M, graduating in 1974.
After working in a hospital in Pasadena, TX for two years, he started medical school in 1976 and received his Doctor of Osteopath from the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1980. He did his residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at the Cleveland Clinic and at Scott and White. After completing his residency, he worked for two years as chief of clinical pathology at the VA in Temple, TX from 1985-1987. In 1987, he accepted a position at Scott& White as staff surgical pathologist. In 1988, Dr. Speights was appointed Pathology Program Director and was instrumental in its accreditation. In 1999, he was appointed Division Director of Anatomic Pathology.
During his career, Dr. Speights taught at the Texas A & M Medical School and in 2005, he was appointed Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. From 2003-2008, he served in the National Pathology Residency Program Directors Organization. Additionally, Dr. Speights served as a delegate in the Texas Medical Association’s House of Delegates from Bell County and on the TMA’s Continuing Education Committee. He spent four years with the Texas Comprehensive Cancer Coalition, and he served for 10 years, 6 as chairman, for the Texas Cancer Data Workshop, which later became the Texas Cancer Registry. During his leadership, this registry achieved the coveted Gold Accreditation by the North America Association of Central Cancer Registries.
Dr. Speights was a member of numerous professional organizations, serving on boards, and co-authoring several research articles appearing in numerous publications, including The New England Journal of Medicine. In 2007, Dr. Speights became the president of the Texas Society of Pathology (TSP). In 2014, Dr. Speights received the TSP’s George T. Caldwell Award M.D. Distinguished Service Award for service in and dedication to the field of pathology. At the time of his death, Dr. Speights was serving on a TSP sub-committee for tumor registry coordination and was chair of the Texas Legislative Council.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Lea (Hedgpeth) Speights , and their two children: Patrick Robert, and Katherine Elaine.
