Tomorrow is Jonas Salk’s 100th birthday. Salk’s eldest son Peter Salk, MD, recently came to the March of Dimes National Office to speak about his father and The Jonas Salk Legacy Foundation. It was touching to hear the history and personal stories about Salk.
Peter recounted how his father had initially thought he would become a lawyer or congressman. But college chemistry set him in a new direction. While attending NYU Medical School, a microbiology class inspired him to begin his quest in vaccine research. Before long, he became one of the most famous researchers of the 20th century.
Jonas Salk, MD. was intrigued by the idea of creating a vaccine from inactivated versions of a virus. He first worked on an inactivated flu vaccine but he is most remembered for his pioneering work in creating a polio vaccine in the midst of the polio epidemic.
Basil O’Connor, President of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (now known as the March of Dimes) was intrigued by Salk’s research and decided to fund Salk’s efforts to develop the vaccine against infantile paralysis, also known as polio. In 1955, it was announced that the Salk vaccine was safe and effective against this disabling, sometimes fatal infection. Salk’s vaccine rapidly reduced polio infections by 97%. With the help of the Salk vaccine and later the Sabin oral vaccine, both developed with March of Dimes funding, polio infections have been eliminated from the United States for nearly 3 decades. Polio still occurs, however, in some developing countries.
In addition to being a preeminent physician and researcher, Salk had a philosophical side. One question Salk would ask is “Are we being good ancestors?” It was the foundation on which he based his life, and his unending quest to help improve mankind. Peter ended the presentation with one of Jonas’ quotes: “Hope lies in dreams, in imagination and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.” Jonas believed each person was responsible for making a difference in the world. By eradicating polio in the United States, Jonas Salk fulfilled his own dream.
You can learn more about Jonas Salk’s life and contributions by watching this historical footage reel.
The March of Dimes remembers, honors and celebrates Jonas Salk’s accomplishments as we continue our mission to improve the health of babies.