MD Anderson Cancer Center

Lawrence Levy is no stranger to giving back. In fact, his decades of generosity helped build one of the world’s largest cancer centers, MD Anderson Cancer Center, in the world’s largest medical complex, Houston’s Texas Medical Center.

Alongside compassionate donors like you, Lawrence and his wife, Linda, continue to build MD Anderson’s rich philanthropic heritage as donor advisors of the Levy-Longenbaugh Fund. Combined, this dedicated donor base supports some of oncology’s most innovative, promising and vital research at the nation’s top cancer hospital.

“Medical research is a marathon, not a sprint,” Lawrence says. “We understand the ongoing need to support the people at the forefront of this field year after year.”

From the 1940s and beyond, Lawrence’s father served on boards of charitable organizations alongside the giants among Houston’s philanthropists. One such charity for children afflicted with polio and confined to iron lungs profoundly affected Lawrence, imparting a never-give-up attitude toward funding medical research.

“When I see MD Anderson’s mantra ‘Whatever It Takes’ regarding curing the many forms of cancer, I always add, ‘As Long as It Takes,’ we’ll be with you, supporting you.”

— Lawrence Levy

In 1981, Lawrence and Alta G. Longenbaugh, a close friend for whom he acted as personal attorney, created the Gillson Longenbaugh Foundation. After Longenbaugh’s passing in 1994, the philanthropic foundation transformed, but their shared mission for identifying best-in-class researchers with integrity and investing in them for the long haul endures.

“We tried to identify talented individuals with great potential in partnership with the organizations we support,” Lawrence says. “One of the great gifts we have received is the striking success of many young researchers we supported and their extraordinary contributions to improving medical knowledge and patient care and treatment.”

Throughout the years, dozens of MD Anderson’s brightest minds have benefited from the Gillson Longenbaugh Foundation’s support, delving into some of the world’s most innovative research. From metastatic melanoma and genitourinary cancer studies to tissue regeneration and blood and bone marrow transplants, the foundation has helped open doors to fundamental change in cancer diagnosis and treatment. The Levys’ most recent contribution will support the research of Hop Tran Cao, M.D., and Jennifer Wargo, M.D., using the HistoSonics Edison Ultrasound System and other innovative technology to achieve cancer remission.

What’s next? To Lawrence, the sky’s the limit, especially at MD Anderson, where “the quality of the people and the culture allow for innovation.” He believes revolutionary developments in genomics and information technology offer never-before-seen possibilities for accelerating lifesaving treatments to patients. And, he knows the need for ongoing support, year after year, has never been greater.

“When I see MD Anderson’s mantra ‘Whatever It Takes’ regarding curing the many forms of cancer, I always add, ‘As Long as It Takes,’ we’ll be with you, supporting you,” Lawrence says.

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