Midge Thomas can look at old photos of her late husband, Dr. Freddie Thomas, and remember the good times they had together. She says they were married for 17 years.

"For the whole 17 years, I received an 'I love you' card and a gift. I miss that now," said Mrs. Thomas.  

Dr. Thomas died in 1974, but his name still lives on in Rochester. On Scio Street, you'll find the Freddie Thomas Learning Center, which houses two Rochester city schools. 

"I can walk down the street and the stores or anywhere and someone will say 'You're Mrs. Thomas. I knew your husband; he changed my life,'" Mrs. Thomas said.

Freddie Thomas was born in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1918, where he experienced segregation firsthand. Rodney Brown wrote the biography of Dr. Thomas entitled "Silent Leader." 

"He couldn't go to the library, he couldn't go to an eatery, he couldn't drink from the same water fountain," said Brown. 

But Freddie persevered. He moved to Rochester to attend Wagner College. He later went to the University of Rochester. He made his mark in science. He was a well-respected inventor at Kodak, and a geneticist and biologist at the University of Rochester. 

"So, he was a significant geneticist and biologist in medicine and one of the only few blacks, one that was there delivering that type of leadership," said Brown. 

While Dr. Thomas was gifted, he wanted to inspire youth. He would walk the streets of Rochester near Joseph Avenue and reach out to young people to mentor them. 

"He built a burning fire in them and he would tell them 'hey, I want you guys, you young ladies or whoever, come to my house and we will talk more about the things that we told you,'" said Brown. 

After Dr. Thomas died, Midge Thomas created the Freddie Thomas Foundation to support community organizations. She purchased the building now known as Harro East, which housed non-profit organizations and helped them get up and running.

Her hope going forward is to continue to keep her husband's legacy alive.

"To know who you are, where are you going and why and the contributions you can make to the world, that was very important to him," said Mrs. Thomas.