[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 124 (Friday, September 21, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1688]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              RECOGNITION OF DORA MENCHACA-DORSEY'S DEATH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. HILDA L. SOLIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 21, 2001

  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, I join Congressman Henry Waxman to 
acknowledge the death of Dora Menchaca-Dorsey. Her death has brought 
great sorrow to family members in both of our districts.
  Dora Menchaca-Dorsey, was an unfortunate victim of American Airlines 
Flight 77 which crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Had 
Ms. Menchaca-Dorsey taken the later flight on which she was scheduled, 
she would have returned safely home to her husband, Earle Dorsey and 5-
year-old son. Her daughter, Imani, was away at college in Oregon. Due 
to the airport shutdowns at the time, Imani Dorsey, drove from Portland 
to Los Angeles to be with her family. Ms. Menchaca-Dorsey also leaves 
behind a brother in San Gabriel.
  Sadly, Dora Menchaca-Dorsey's life was cut short while she was 
working to save the lives of others. Ms. Menchaca-Dorsey was in 
Washington, DC attending a briefing with the Food and Drug 
Administration on medical developments for patients with prostate 
cancer. She was a dedicated scientist who worked tirelessly to find a 
cure for some of today's deadliest diseases. Ironically, amidst such 
death, her co-workers remember her laughter and energy. She could also 
be maternal towards others, urging them to get regular health-care 
check-ups. Her husband, Earle Dorsey says he owns his life to his wife. 
Because of her insistence, his prostate cancer was diagnosed at an 
early stage.
  She also gave back to the community. Proud of her Mexican-American 
heritage, Dora Menchaca-Dorsey often visited schools to encourage 
students, especially minorities and girls, to pursue careers in the 
sciences. That is how we should all remember her.
  Menchaca-Dorsey was an energetic and dedicated individual who 
believed in and lived to find a cure for the diseases plaguing society. 
She was also a giving and loving wife and mother to her two children. 
Let us celebrate her memory by remembering what was contributed, not 
what was lost. Her contribution to the scientific world, to society, 
and to her family will not be soon forgotten.

                          ____________________