“The Future of Cancer: Progress with a Purpose”

Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach
Director, National Cancer Institute
October 23, 2003

Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., is the 12th director of the National Cancer Institute [NCI] since its creation in 1937. A nationally recognized urologic surgeon, Dr. von Eschenbach’s distinguished career as a key leader in the fight against cancer spreads nearly three decades.

A two-time cancer survivor, Dr. von Eschenbach has had an impact on the fight against cancer that extends beyond the clinical and academic communities. He is a founding member of the National Dialogue on Cancer and was president-elect of the American Cancer Society at the time of his appointment to the NCI. In addition, he has made significant contributions to scientific literature—more than 200 articles, books and book chapters.

Many influential organizations have recognized Dr. von Eschenbach for his leadership and accomplishments, among them the American Medical Writers Association, the American Urological Association and the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. He has been included in The Best Doctors in America and has received the Medical Award of Excellence from Cancer Counseling; the Achievement Awards from the 100 Black Men of Metropolitan Houston and Partners in Courage for his significant contributions to prostate cancer programs; and the Julie Rogers “Spirit of Love” Award for demonstrating unparalleled dedication, commitment and spirit in the fight against cancer.

About The J. Roderick Davis Lectures
J. Roderick Davis is a 1958 graduate of Samford University (then Howard College). After graduation, he received advanced degrees in English and theology from Boston, Yale, and Columbia universities, followed by more than two decades of teaching in universities in New Jersey and New York. In 1990, he was chosen by his alma mater to come back as the Dean of Samford’s Howard College of Arts and Sciences. In his eleven years in that office, he helped enlarge the College faculty by thirty percent, created individual departments in Geography, Political Science, Philosophy, and Classics, and directed the streamlining and re-focusing of the university’s nationally-recognized core curriculum.

When Dean Davis retired from his office in 2001, his colleagues decided to honor him by establishing a lecture series in his name that would bring to campus recognized scholars and activists in areas of interest to students in the Arts and Sciences.

Previous Davis Lecturers and topics include:

2007 - Walter Isaacson, President and CEO, the Aspen Institute, Author, Einstein: His Life and Universe: "Einstein's Creativity"

2006 – Dr. Juan Hernandez, President, Organization for Hispanic Advancement: “The New American Pioneers: Why Are We Afraid of Mexican Immigrants?”

2005 – Dr. Fawaz A. Gerges, Professor of International Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies at Sarah Lawrence College: “The Far Enemy: How and Why Jihad Went Global”

2004 – Dr. Jean Bethke Elshtain, Professor of Social and Political Ethics at the University of Chicago Divinity School: “Democracy and Human Dignity”

2003 – Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, Director of the National Cancer Institute: “The Future of Cancer: Progress with a Purpose”

2002 – Susan Eisenhower, President of the Eisenhower Institute: “Leadership in Conflict”