In Memoriam

Robert F. Seymour (1926-2006)

Robert F. Seymour, a long-time medical educator, died in late December at South Pointe Hospital, a teaching hospital in Cleveland. He was 80 years old.

Dr. Seymour was among the first African-American physicians to be trained in urology. A native of Yonkers, New York, he was a graduate of Howard University and the Howard University School of Medicine. He served for over 30 years as an associate clinical professor of urology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He retired in 2004.

Bethany Norwood (1982-2006)

On January 14, 2004, Bethany Norwood, a cheerleader at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, fell during an unsupervised practice. She broke her neck in six places and was paralyzed from the neck down. The accident caused universities all over the nation to reexamine the safety of their cheerleading programs.

With physical therapy Norwood slowly regained the use of her hands. Mentally tough, Norwood vowed to return to school to earn her degree. Unable to walk, Norwood’s mother quit her job in order to accompany her to classes. Norwood received her diploma in political science this past summer.

Norwood has now died from complications due to her 2004 fall. An inspiration to the entire Prairie View University community, a scholarship has been established in her name.

Copyright © 2007. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.