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Howard Celebrates
Congressman
and University
Officials Who
Made Louis Stokes
Health Sciences
Library Possible
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WASHINGTON
–
Twelve years
ago, Howard
University
and its
Health Sciences
colleges
and schools
faced a
major problem.
They
needed a
state-of-the-art
health sciences
library.
The one
the university
had was
old and
too small.
Located
between
the College
of Medicine
and the
College
of Dentistry,
the school’s
then library
seated only
130 people,
when what
the university
needed was
a facility
that would
accommodate
nearly five
times that
many.
“We
grew out
of it,”
recalled
Dr. Robert
L. Copeland
Jr., an
associate
professor
in the College
of Medicine’s
Department
of Pharmacology.
“That’s
it.”
But
how was
the university
going to
find the
$20 million
needed to
build a
new structure
and the
additional
$7.5 million
dollars
to furnish
it? And
then who
was going
to oversee
its construction?
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An
energetic,
resourceful
Ohio
congressman
and
a
hard-working
committee
of
Howard
University
faculty
and
staff
wrestled
with
that
question
for
more
than
two
years,
and
their
answer
is
what
today
is
the
Louis
Stokes
Health
Sciences
Library
This
year
marks
the
10th
anniversary
of
the
library
and
the
university
and
library
will
mark
the
occasion
with
a
two-day
symposium
November
14-15
and
a
health
fair
and
gala
Nov.
16.
The
events
will
honor
former
Ohio
U.S.
Rep.
Louis
Stokes,
who
procured
through
the
federal
government
all
of
the
money
for
its
construction.
Stokes
said
there
were
a
lot
of
things
that
helped
him
get
the
money
for
Howard.
“Howard
is
unique
because
it
is
a
federally-funded
university,”
he
said.
“As
the
only
African
American
on
the
subcommittee
board,
I
felt
that
it
was
my
responsibility
to
help
Howard
in
the
funding
their
needs.”
They
university
will
also
honor
Copeland,
who
chaired
the
20-member
committee
responsible
for
the
design
and
building
of
the
facility,
Senior
Vice
President
Hassan
Minor,
a
driving
force
in
its
construction,
former
university
President
H.
Patrick
Swygert
and
others
at
Howard
involved
with
the
project.
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Louis
Stokes |
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During
panel
discussions
and
luncheons,
the
symposium
will
feature
prominent
speakers,
such
as
Dr.
Milton
Corn,
deputy
director
for
Research
and
Education
at
the
National
Library
of
Medicine;
Dr.
David
Satcher,
the
nation’s
first
African-American
U.S.
Surgeon
General;
Dr.
Helena
O.
Mishoe,
director
of
the
Office
of
Research
Training
and
Minority
Health;
Dr.
Regina
Smith
James,
director
of
the
Division
of
Special
Populations
for
the
National
Institute
on
Child
Health
and
Development;
Dr.
Wayne
Giles,
director
of
the
Division
of
Adult
and
Community
Health
at
the
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention,
and
Keith
W.
Cogdill,
Ph.D.,
director
of
the
National
Institutes
of
Health
Library.
Stokes,
former
U.S.
representative
for
the
21st
District
of
Ohio,
will
be
the
featured
guest
during
a
gala
celebration
from
5:00
p.m.
to
9:00
p.m.
at
the
J.W.
Marriott
Washington,
D.C.
on
Pennsylvania
Avenue.
An
oral
history
on
the
early
days
of
constructing
the
library
will
be
presented
during
the
dinner.
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The
library,
which
opened
in
July
2001,
was
dedicated
in
Stokes’
name
on
Nov.
16
of
that
year.
Its
resources
and
services
support
teaching,
practice
and
research
for
the
Howard
University
Hospital
and
the
colleges
of
Dentistry,
Medicine,
Nursing
and
Allied
Health
Sciences,
and
Pharmacy,
said
Cynthia
L.
Henderson,
the
library’s
executive
director.
“The
Louis
Stokes
Health
Sciences
Library
is
a
symbol
of
knowledge,
learning,
practice
and
research,”
Henderson
said.
“The
library’s
service
focus
is
on
excellence
in
teaching,
lifelong
learning,
research
and
health
sciences
resources
for
our
users.”
Seats
for
the
gala
are
$100
and
include
the
reception,
dinner
and
presentations.
For
more
information
on
the
symposium,
click
here.
For
gala
information,
contact
Charlene
Blount
at
202.238.2565. |
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