The Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library
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Dedication Ceremony, 16 November 2001

Remarks by Floyd Malveaux, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Provost for Health Affairs, Howard University
   

     
Thank you, Mr. President.

I’m going to resist from giving my favorite recitation on the marvels of this building. I’d love to tell you all about it, but that would take another one-half hour or more.

Instead, I’m going to take this opportunity to thank two people. I thank them on behalf of Dean Sanders and Dean Lekka, both of whom are here today, and also on behalf of the faculty, and, especially, the students who are in health sciences. We want to say, “thank you” and we want to say it first to Mr. Stokes.

It is indeed, more than an honor, to have this building named after him because this man truly did more, I think, than anyone else, for the health of America, and certainly, has done more than anyone else for the training of minority students and also for the health of the underserved in this country.

So it is fitting that every medical student, every health sciences student, when they walk into this building, and see the name, “Louis Stokes,” we will be happy to tell them what he has done for them. Mr. Stokes, thank you very much.

The second individual who deserves special recognition and thanks at this time is President Swygert.

President Swygert had not even taken residence on this campus (after he was named president of this university) when he made a commitment. He made a commitment to me. He made a commitment to a Site Visit Team that we had come into the College of Medicine. He was on the telephone—President Swygert, I don’t know if you remember that—and I said, “Mr. Swygert, you’ve got to tell them that we’re going to build a library.” And he did that.

And like Mr. Stokes, he said, “I’ve heard that before.” And so did the Site Visit Team.

Ladies and gentlemen, he did it.

So, again, on behalf of all of us, there are so many other individuals who also should be thanked, and in your hearts, I’m sure you know who you are. We thank you also for your contributions in terms of making this facility, this special resource, this valuable resource, available to the students, the faculty, and the community of Howard University.

Thank you very much.