Surgical oncologist LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr. has worked to focus attention on the problem of high cancer death rates among minorities, especially African Americans. As the first black president of the American Cancer Society and as an educator at Howard University, Leffall has dedicated his career to educating both the medical profession and the lay public about cancer risks for minorities.

Leffall, the son of Martha (Jordan) Lefall and LaSalle Leffall, Sr., was born in Tallahassee, Florida, on May 22, 1930. He attended public school and was the valedictorian of his high school class, graduating in 1945. In 1948, he received a B.S., summa cum laude, from Florida A & M University. From there, Leffall enrolled in Howard University College of Medicine. Again, he achieved academic excellence, graduating first in his class and receiving his M.D. degree in 1952. Leffall's formal medical education continued for the next seven years. He was an...