[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 53 (Thursday, April 15, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E556]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE LIFE OF DR. LAWRENCE SEYMOUR

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                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 15, 2010

  Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Dr. 
Lawrence Seymour, a Memphis doctor who dedicated his life to fighting 
prostate cancer. He was born in Fayette County, Tennessee and moved to 
the historic LeMoyne Gardens neighborhood in Memphis before beginning 
grade school. He was class valedictorian at Booker T. Washington High 
School, one of the first African American high schools in the city. 
Rising out of poverty, he attended Howard University College of 
Medicine on a full scholarship. After graduating in 1961, Dr. Seymour 
regularly sent money back to Howard University to help other aspiring 
doctors pay for their medical school education.
  Becoming one of the first African American urologists in Memphis, Dr. 
Seymour earned a reputation as a doctor who provided treatment for 
people whether they were insured or not. He would see patients 
regardless of their ability to pay him because, according to his wife 
Mrs. Anita Seymour, ``He felt like he owed it to his community.''
  Dr. Seymour would always remind his patients of the importance of 
receiving specific antigen blood tests, which are critical in helping 
doctors diagnose prostate cancer in its early stages. For him, the 
fight against prostate cancer was personal because the disease claimed 
the life of one of his brothers. Dr. Seymour was a pioneer in the fight 
against prostate cancer, developing several new treatments for the 
disease including one that shrinks the prostate gland before surgery.
  Dr. Lawrence Seymour passed away on February 23, 2010, at 75 years of 
age. The Memphis community mourns the life of one of its great doctors. 
He is survived by his wife, his four children and a host of friends and 
family across Tennessee and the country. We are grateful to have had 
the pleasure of his dedication, perseverance and passion in the Memphis 
community.

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