Dr. Theodore Kenneth Lawless led one of those lives for which Black History Month was created.
Born in Thibodaux on Dec. 6, 1892, Lawless was world-renowned for his research and treatment of syphilis; Hansen's disease, also known as leprosy; and cancer, despite facing the prejudices of his time.
In his later years, he used his substantial wealth to help others before he died May 1, 1971, at the age of 78.
Margie Scoby, president of the Finding Our Roots African American Museum in Houma, said Lawless' story is one of many that need to be better-known.
“Many times, African Americans are not put in the forefront or not even talked about,” Scoby said. “Many times, you don’t even hear about them in the schools, so I think it’s very important that we bring it up and celebrate these people because they’ve done wonderful things. ... It shows that so many great people have come from the Houma-Thibodaux area.”