Biography
Jonas Salk was born April 28, 1915 in Bronx, New York to Daniel and Doris Salk. As a kid, Jonas Salk attended school in New York Public Schools. Several years later he attended Townshend Harris High School; which was a school for only exceptional students. In 1934 after high school, he went to a city college still in New York. This is also the collage where he received his medical degree in 1939.
Jonas completed his medical internship at Sinai Hospital in New York in 1940-1942. In 1942 he began working with Thomas Francis at the University of Michigan. When he was there he studied influenza and the flu virus. While he and Thomas were working, they created a flu vaccine which turned out to be “invaluable” for Jonas. He then used this knowledge to work on the polio vaccine at the University of Pittsburg.
In 1950 Polio was at its height killing and paralyzing about 40,000 Americans each year. This made Salk’s work become real intense! He then started using animal cell tissue. It was Salk’s idea of inserting the dead virus inside of someone so they’d become immune to the disease. After Salk announced the idea to the public, he was laughed at by his main rival “Albert Sabin”.
In the early 1950’s he tested his vaccine on 2 million people (mostly children). The test proved SUCCESS!!! The successful results were then sent to the public on April 12, 1955. Shortly after, he received a speech from the president who was tearful in thanking Jonas. He soon became so well known he received thousands of letters to Michigan wanting him to appear in “ticker tape parades.”
The head of the medical association “Dwight Murray” commented on Salk’s vaccine saying “one of the greatest events in the history of mankind.” Later Salk created his own institute for biological studies. It was located in “La Jolla, California.” It was created so “scientists could carry out their work in a relaxed atmosphere.” This institute boasts several other Nobel prize winners. It is considered to be “one of the finest in the world of molecular biology, genetics, and neuroscience.”
Salk was director there until his death in 1995. He wrote many books like “Man Unfolding” and “Survival of the Wisest.” Before Salk’s death, he did some research on aids with one of his sons, Peter. He and Peter used many of the same techniques he used with polio, but together they couldn’t find the cure. Salk died on June 23rd, 1995 in a San Diego Hospital. He died at age 80 of heart failure.
Jonas Salk was born April 28, 1915 in Bronx, New York to Daniel and Doris Salk. As a kid, Jonas Salk attended school in New York Public Schools. Several years later he attended Townshend Harris High School; which was a school for only exceptional students. In 1934 after high school, he went to a city college still in New York. This is also the collage where he received his medical degree in 1939.
Jonas completed his medical internship at Sinai Hospital in New York in 1940-1942. In 1942 he began working with Thomas Francis at the University of Michigan. When he was there he studied influenza and the flu virus. While he and Thomas were working, they created a flu vaccine which turned out to be “invaluable” for Jonas. He then used this knowledge to work on the polio vaccine at the University of Pittsburg.
In 1950 Polio was at its height killing and paralyzing about 40,000 Americans each year. This made Salk’s work become real intense! He then started using animal cell tissue. It was Salk’s idea of inserting the dead virus inside of someone so they’d become immune to the disease. After Salk announced the idea to the public, he was laughed at by his main rival “Albert Sabin”.
In the early 1950’s he tested his vaccine on 2 million people (mostly children). The test proved SUCCESS!!! The successful results were then sent to the public on April 12, 1955. Shortly after, he received a speech from the president who was tearful in thanking Jonas. He soon became so well known he received thousands of letters to Michigan wanting him to appear in “ticker tape parades.”
The head of the medical association “Dwight Murray” commented on Salk’s vaccine saying “one of the greatest events in the history of mankind.” Later Salk created his own institute for biological studies. It was located in “La Jolla, California.” It was created so “scientists could carry out their work in a relaxed atmosphere.” This institute boasts several other Nobel prize winners. It is considered to be “one of the finest in the world of molecular biology, genetics, and neuroscience.”
Salk was director there until his death in 1995. He wrote many books like “Man Unfolding” and “Survival of the Wisest.” Before Salk’s death, he did some research on aids with one of his sons, Peter. He and Peter used many of the same techniques he used with polio, but together they couldn’t find the cure. Salk died on June 23rd, 1995 in a San Diego Hospital. He died at age 80 of heart failure.
Works Cited
McCreedy, Lauren. Jonas Salk. 2005. Photograph
