[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 103 (Thursday, July 22, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1488-E1489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING RICHARD A. BLOCH, BUSINESS PIONEER AND PHILANTHROPIST

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KAREN McCARTHY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 22, 2004

  Ms. McCARTHY of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, Missouri citizens and all 
Americans mourn yesterday's passing of a great American, Richard A. 
Bloch--the ``R'' in H&R Block. Richard Bloch was an entrepreneur, 
philanthropist, beloved husband, devoted father of three and 
grandfather of 10, who exemplified personal and professional integrity. 
He was 78 years old.
  Honored for his philanthropy and his second career as a crusader for 
cancer patients, as '-- well as his success in creating one of 
America's most famous brands, Richard Bloch was born in Kansas City in 
1926.
  By age 12, he had founded his own small business providing printing 
services to Kansas City high schools. At 16, he entered the Wharton 
School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, the youngest 
member of his class. He graduated in 1945 with a degree in economics.
  After graduation, Richard returned to Kansas City, married his wife 
Annette, and soon joined his brothers Henry and Leon in their 
bookkeeping business. A simple newspaper ad in the Kansas City Star in 
1954, showing a man behind an eight ball, with the headline, ``Taxes, 
$5,'' stimulated a long line of customers that turned a sidelight of 
tax return preparation into a spectacular national success that made 
business history.
  Today those first customers translate into one out of every seven 
individual income tax filers in America, served by over 125,000 
employees at nearly 10,000 U.S. offices, and international clients in 
11 countries. Tax planning and preparation have expanded to include 
financial, mortgage, accounting, and consulting services.
  Over the last 50 years, well over a hundred million Americans have 
had their anxieties allayed by a Block-prepared tax return. Both 
Federal and State governments also benefit from accurate tax returns 
reflecting sound advice and professional preparation.
  In 1978, Richard was diagnosed with lung cancer and told he had three 
months to live. Refusing to accept this prognosis, he sought treatment 
at the M.D. Anderson Center in Houston. Richard promised himself that 
if he survived, he would devote his life to helping others fight 
cancer. Cured after two years of aggressive therapy, he kept that 
promise, selling his interest in H&R Block to devote full time to 
cancer work.
  Richard and Annette founded the R. A. Bloch Cancer Management Center 
and the R. A. Bloch Cancer Support Center at the University of Missouri 
in Kansas City. From 1980 to 1995, the Management Center offered Kansas 
City area patients a free multidisciplinary second opinion panel. The 
panel, including more than 100 physicians, helped patients identify the 
best cancer treatment available. The Management Center has served as a 
model for more than 125 centers nationwide.
  Richard and Annette also founded the Cancer Hotline in 1980 and 
authored three books. Supported by volunteers who have had or are 
battling cancer, the hotline educates thousands of newly diagnosed 
cancer patients and their family and friends about available 
treatments. A Website, www.blochcancer.org, now assists. So do annual 
Fighting Cancer Rallies in more than 700 communities that raise 
awareness that cancer and death are not synonymous and that give 
victims faith that there can be life after a cancer diagnosis.
  In my district and across America, Richard & Annette Bloch Parks for 
Cancer Survivors provide an oasis of peace for contemplation and 
inspiration, dedicated to Americans who have been diagnosed with 
cancer, each a tribute to life.
  Richard Bloch's vision of a national network of cancer information 
led to the National Cancer Institute's Physician's Data Query. This 
Website provides information about state of the art treatment for every 
type and stage of cancer and all the current experimental therapies. To 
honor Richard's efforts, our government named a building at the 
National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, the R. A. Bloch 
International Cancer Information Center. Most government cancer 
information is disseminated from the Bloch Center.
  In 1982, Richard was appointed by President Reagan to a six year term 
on the National Cancer Advisory Board. He was a member of the 
President's Circle of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute 
of Medicine, and a former board member of the National Institute of 
Health's Office of Alternative Medicine. He also received the American 
Society of Clinical Oncology's 1994 Public Service Award and the 1995 
Layman's Award from the Society of Surgical Oncology.
  Richard would ask anyone who wanted to open an H&R Block office, 
``Tell me what you want out of life.'' He encouraged people to go where 
their hearts led them and to follow their passion. Mr. Speaker, please 
join me in extending heartfelt sympathy to the entire Bloch family--
Annette; his three daughters, Linda Lyon, Barbara Stanny, and Nancy 
Linsley; his 10 grandchildren; brothers Leon Jr. and Henry and Henry's 
wife, Marion--as we honor the

[[Page E1489]]

memory of an American whose life is a testimonial to the values our 
Nation celebrates.

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