James Leonard Hadnott M.D.

1937 - 2025

James Leonard Hadnott, M.D., was born to William Hicks Hadnott, Sr. and Marjorie O'Neil Hadnott on May 19, 1937, in Beaumont, Texas. He was their third of four sons, and sixth of seven children.

The untimely deaths of Dr. Hadnott's mother and father, who passed away when he was seven and 12 years old, respectively, caused uncertainty, expedited independence and early motivation to pursue a career in medicine.

His first job, a newspaper route, sparked an entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic that never left Dr. Hadnott, and led to him reading the newspaper daily from the front page to the back.

As a son of two public school teachers, the importance of education was instilled in Dr. Hadnott at an early age. He graduated with honors from Hebert High School in 1954 and also excelled in music while there.

In 1958, Dr. Hadnott earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Texas Southern University, where he also pledged Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Beta Upsilon Chapter.

After taking additional courses at TSU and Lamar College, Dr. Hadnott followed in the footsteps of his two older brothers by attending the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He proceeded to earn a Doctor of Medicine degree from UTMB in 1962 by graduating from an accelerated, three-year honors program.

Dr. Hadnott began his postgraduate training in a rotating internship in the University of Southern California Teaching Program based at Kern County General Hospital and served as Captain in the California Army Reserve National Guard while there.

He started his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Case Western Reserve University Teaching Program based at Cleveland Metropolitan Hospital, while serving as Captain in the Ohio Army Reserve National Guard, and completed his residency at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio while serving as Major in the Texas Army Reserve.

After two years as a full-time faculty member at UTHSCSA, Dr. Hadnott obtained Board Certification from the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and became a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In 1969, Dr. Hadnott entered private practice as an Obstetrician and Gynecologist, a career that would eventually span 40 years.

As a member of the Admissions Committee at UTHSCSA, Dr. Hadnott was a champion of diversity among qualified medical school candidates.

Dr. Hadnott married Gwendolyn Morse in 1972. Their 52-year union yielded two children and a foundation rooted in the prioritization of God, family, education, hard work and kindness towards others.

In 1974, Dr. Hadnott was one of four African Americans who invested in the San Antonio Spurs when an ownership group was assembled to relocate the franchise to San Antonio.

A devout man of God, Dr. Hadnott was a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church. He was appointed Chairman of the church's endowment fund and to its board of trustees.

As a recognized leader in his profession, Dr. Hadnott was elected and appointed to numerous roles, including Director, City of San Antonio Health Facilities Development Corporation; President, The San Antonio Obstetrics and Gynecology Society; President, C. A. Whitter Medical Society; Member, Finance Committee, Bexar County Medical Foundation; Member, Task Force on Indigent Health Care, Texas Medical Association and Treasurer, Lone Star State Medical Association.

Additionally, Dr. Hadnott later served the Bexar County Medical Society as Chairman, Board of Censors; Secretary-Treasurer; Executive Board; Member, Board of Directors and Member, Service Bureau, served as Member, Board of Directors of B.E.A.T. AIDS and served on the Board of United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County. He became a Member of the Executive Council of the Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (TAOG) in 1995, and in 1998 became the TAOG President-Elect.

Dr. Hadnott was a co-developer of East San Antonio Medical Medical Center and EastPointe Medical Center, two state-of-the-art facilities that offered access to a range of specialty and primary care services to a community that was long underserved.

In 2001, Dr. Hadnott was honored by the UTHSCSA Obstetrics and Gynecology Alumni Association for serving as an "excellent example as an individual instituting positive impacts on society through his exemplary medical leadership and community service."

After retiring from private practice in 2009, Dr. Hadnott rejoined the UTHSCSA faculty and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alamo City Black Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Hadnott retired from the UTHSCSA Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2012.

Dr. Hadnott was an avid golfer, San Antonio Spurs fan and fan of the University of Texas Longhorns He was a loving grandfather who enjoyed nothing more than playing an active role in the life of his grandchildren.

James L. Hadnott, M.D. passed away on January 20, 2025. He was 87.

Dr. Hadnott was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, Harold Hadnott, O'Neil Hadnott, M.D. and William H. Hadnott, M.D.; and his sisters, LaVerne Hadnott Mayes, Ethelyn Hadnott White and Evelyn Hadnott Jackson. He is survived by his devoted wife, Gwendolyn Morse Hadnott; his son, James Harold Hadnott; daughter-in-law, Rebecca and their son, Austyn Storm Hadnott of Los Angeles, California; his daughter, Joy Leslie Lewis, son-in-law, Zach, and their daughters, Dream Sidney Lewis and Golden James Lewis of Hidden Hills, California; as well as his brother-in-law, Ulysses Morse, and his wife, Jannie Morse of San Antonio, Texas; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

A funeral celebrating Dr. Hadnott's life, service and legacy, will be held on Friday, February 7, at 10:00 a.m., at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 508 N. Center St., San Antonio, TX 78202.