Dedication of Roybal Lab

On Dec. 18, phase one of the Edward R. Roybal Laboratory Building was dedicated at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The building is a major component of the CDC’s modernization effort, boasting state-of-the-art laboratory suites designed to operate at optimal biosafety levels.

Attending the event on behalf of Cal State L.A., I thought to myself, how times have changed! When the Roybal Comprehensive Health Center in East L.A. was dedicated some 20 years ago, armed sharpshooters occupied the roofs of the complex at the request of the FBI, which had received a threat against the congressman’s life. The threat directly stated that this county building would not be named for “a Mexican.” Twenty years later, the Latino population has grown and prospered to become not only a vital segment of the state but an important political force in shaping the agenda for the future century.

Roybal’s name is synonymous with caring, with reaching out to beleaguered segments of the community deserving of assistance, with a sense of compassion that has made the health and human services system in our country unsurpassed in its performance. In his 30 years of public service, there was no area of civil rights that did not bear the mark of Roybal’s efforts. In consumer rights, rights for minorities in general and the community of older persons, his efforts have bettered the existence of so many.

JAMES J. KELLY PhD

Dean, School of Health and Human Services

Cal State L.A.