Dear Editor: Hamilton Jordan was the most dedicated and dogged cancer fighter I have ever known. He battled royally against his own cancer and on behalf of the whole nation.

He had a perfect blend of idealism and pragmatism - convinced that we could defeat the demon, but with the most logical and practical steps with realistic strategies and tactics.

Hamilton Jordan worked both at the policy level to improve cancer care for the nation, and at the individual level as he counseled hundreds of newly diagnosed patients, sharing his inspirational book "No Such Thing as a Bad Day" and encouraging people to take charge of their own care.

He had the wisdom and the insight to be the Founder of the Georgia Cancer Coalition to move Georgia from the bottom ranks of cancer care to the top echelon with a ten-year strategic plan. Just three weeks ago, Hamilton told me about arranging a meeting for me with the Lance Armstrong Foundation to strategize on a bold new initiative to pump up the cancer battle in Georgia.

Hamilton Jordan fought to the bitter end on the national level and on his own personal cancer journey. He is a role model for us all. The Georgia Cancer Coalition is proud to be one of his many legacies.

William J. Todd

President and CEO

Georgia Cancer Coalition