Rob was selected by Louis Stokes and the Ohio VFW to paint the official full length portrait in oil to commemorate his legacy and the opening of the Cleveland VA Medical Center in 2012. Louis Stokes (February 23, 1925 – August 18, 2015) was an attorney and politician from Cleveland, Ohio. He served 15 terms in the United States House of Representatives – representing the east side of Cleveland – and was the first black congressman elected in the state of Ohio. He was one of the Cold War-era chairmen of the House Intelligence Committee, headed the Congressional Black Caucus, and was the first black on the House Appropriations Committee.