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Lester and Sue Smith Search for the CureLester and Sue Smith have committed their resources—and resourcefulness—to helping BCM fight cancer.by Jenny Vacca
Lester, a third-generation oilman and CEO of Smith Interests, and his wife, Sue, hold leadership roles throughout the Houston community supporting medical research, science education, and the arts. Many organizations have benefited from their generosity, but the Smiths are now guided by a key goal—to see an end to cancer. By blending philanthropy with advocacy, the couple has become not only the third largest donor to Baylor College of Medicine, but also among its most recognized supporters. 
Lester and Sue Smith "Cancer has touched the lives of millions," said Lester Smith, a member of the BCM Board of Trustees. "My wife has lost a sister to breast cancer and I am a survivor of both prostate and bladder cancer. If we have the capacity to help stop these diseases, to contribute in dollars, time, awareness, or even to talk to someone battling cancer, then we owe it to the world The Smiths established the BCM "Honor Your Father" campaign in 2004 raising $6.4 million for prostate cancer research. The Smith Foundation also has endowed four chairs in the Scott Department of Urology. Under Lester's leadership of the Prostate Cancer Research Initiative, more than $30 million was committed to research. In tribute to this remarkable dedication, the Lester and Sue Smith Urology Clinic was named in their honor in 2005. Most recently, the Foundation has targeted breast cancer and provided a $30 million matching grant to the Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center and to the Breast Center, now the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center. "The Smiths' passion and vision will enable us to bring research from the lab to the patient's bedside faster than we could imagine," said C. Kent Osborne, M.D., Director of the Smith Breast Center. "By combining the drive of both the Breast and the Human Genome Sequencing Centers through their latest gift, we will not only see the most progressive research, but we also will be ushering in the newest era of health care: personalized medicine."
"We have been blessed by a vibrant economic environment that allows us to support Baylor College of Medicine, and we strongly believe in its ability to be successful," said Sue Smith. "A large part of that success is rooted in the tremendous level of medical expertise combined with an incredible group of volunteers. We will be there working alongside the College when a cure is discovered. If anyone can do it, Baylor College of Medicine can," she added. |
Best Minds Best MedicineBCM Campaign Seeks to Raise $1 Billion Attracting Stars: McNairs Give $100 Million To Recruit Top Scientists Lester and Sue Smith Gift Tackles Breast Cancer in the Clinic and Lab Two Alumni Share Commitment to Scholarship Support FeaturesTaking Personalized Medicine to New Heights Creating Culture While Building Walls Changing Complexion of Medicine SpotlightClick for your Doctor: New eVisits Trade Exam Room for Inbox Kjersti Aagaard: 2007 Winner of NIH New Innovator Award Getting World-Class Breast Cancer Care...With or Without Insurance James Lupski's Tenacity Founds New Field of Genomic Medicine BriefsBCM Named National Diabetes Research Center The Trash is no Place for Expired Medication Removing Brain Tumors Through the Nose SPORE Spawns New Lymphoma Efforts The Coffee-Cholesterol Connection
BCM Campaign puts Personalized Medicine on the Fast-Track
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Volume 4, Issue 1, Summer 2008 |
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| Last modified: October 7, 2008 |
They brought glittering gems to the Houston Museum of Natural Science and some of the hottest Latin dance steps to a United States ballroom championship, but above all, Lester and Sue Smith want to bring the cure for cancer to the world. Their energies are focused on a cause close to their hearts.
The Smiths also have chaired and underwritten three BCM Partnership galas and have committed to continuing in that role annually until 2010.