On Jun. 14, 2001, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) dedicated the Louis Stokes Laboratories (Building 50), a new six-story building that housed advanced scientific projects by at least nine NIH institutes and centers. The building was named for The Honorable Louis Stokes, who represented his Cleveland, Ohio District for 15 terms in the House of Representatives, and was the first black congressman elected in the state of Ohio.

Mr. Stokes was an enthusiastic supporter of biomedical research and a champion for eliminating health disparities in the nation’s minority, poor, under served, and disadvantaged communities.