A lasting tribute: Portrait honors legacy of Dr. Rodrigue Mortel, pioneering leader and educator
A portrait and plaque honoring the life and legacy of Rodrigue Mortel, MD, humanitarian and longtime Penn State College of Medicine faculty member, Penn State Health physician and founding director of Penn State Cancer Institute, has been installed in the Cancer Institute’s lobby near the infusion clinic.
The display was made possible through the Mortel family’s request, with support from Penn State College of Medicine’s Development Office and in collaboration with Raymond Hohl, MD, PhD, director of the Cancer Institute, and Richard Legro, MD, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. A recent photo opportunity brought together Cecile Mortel, Dr. Mortel’s wife of 50 years, with Dr. Hohl and Dr. Legro to mark the installation.
Dr. Mortel’s story is one of perseverance, vision and service. Born in Haiti in a one-room home in 1933, he rose from poverty to become a trailblazer in academic medicine. After joining the College of Medicine in 1972, he advanced to full professor within five years and made history in 1982 as the nation’s first Black, foreign-educated chair of a medical school’s department of obstetrics and gynecology. He later became the founding director of the Penn State University Cancer Center, the forerunner to Penn State Cancer Institute, where his leadership and research in uterine cancer treatment left an enduring mark.
During his 30-year tenure at Penn State, Dr. Mortel combined innovation in medicine with a deep devotion to education. His influence extended well beyond the clinic and classroom, inspiring colleagues, students and the broader community alike.
After retiring in 2002, Dr. Mortel devoted his energy to humanitarian work in his home country, establishing the Mortel High Hopes for Haiti Foundation, the first U.S. nonprofit to provide educational opportunities across all levels of schooling in Haiti. His foundation continues to serve more than 1,500 students today, carrying forward his belief that education is the most powerful path out of poverty.
Dr. Mortel died peacefully in his home, surrounded by family, in 2022 at the age of 88.
The portrait now displayed at the Cancer Institute serves as a permanent tribute to Dr. Mortel’s life and work, celebrating not only his groundbreaking contributions to medicine, but also his lifelong mission to educate, uplift and empower others.
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