- Repository
-
ULS Archives & Special Collections
- Title
- Jonas Salk Polio Vaccine Collection
- Creator
-
University of Pittsburgh. Archives Service Center.
- Creator
-
University of Pittsburgh. Health Science News Bureau.
- Collection Number
- UA.90.F89
- Date [bulk]
- Bulk, 1953-2005
- Date [inclusive]
- 1917-2005
- Extent
-
1.5 linear feet
(3 boxes)
-
- Abstract
- The Jonas Salk Polio Vaccine Collection consists of materials relating to the history of polio and the polio vaccine research and trials. There are three series in this collection. Series I. History and Anniversary, Series II. Newspaper clippings, Series III Photographs. Digital reproductions of some photographs are available
online.
Preferred Citation
Jonas Salk Polio Vaccine Collection, 1917-2005, UA.90.F89, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
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Biography
Jonas Edward Salk was born in New York City on October 14, 1914. He attended the City College of New York and received his MD from New York University. Shortly after graduation, he began a career in medical research with an emphasis on virology and epidemiology. Prior to arriving at the University of Pittsburgh Salk spent five years at the University of Michigan where, among other positions, he conducted research on influenza and influenza vaccines.
Salk accepted a research appointment at the University of Pittsburgh medical school in 1947 and began work on the polio vaccine the following year. The Vaccine Advisory Committee of the National Foundation of Infantile Paralysis highlighted the effort of Salk’s research team in a joint 1954 conference report with the United States Public Health Service entitled “Poliomyelitis Vaccine Types 1, 2, and 3: Recommendations of Vaccine Advisory Committee of National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.” Salk began human trials in 1954 and the vaccine was declared viable for mass production in April 1955.
In the 1960s, after his work at the University of Pittsburgh, Salk founded the Salk Institute for Biological Studies located in LaJolla, California. Salk also conducted research on cancer and multiple sclerosis. He spent the remainder of his medical career working on a vaccine for HIV-AIDS and co-founding the Immune Response Corporation with Kevin Kimberlin to address the disease. Salk died in LaJolla at the age of 80 on June 23, 1995.
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History
Until the creation of the polio vaccine, poliomyelitis, or polio as it was known, was a disabling and potentially fatal illness. Jonas Salk and a team of physicians and other researchers worked toward developing a polio vaccine at the University of Pittsburgh’s Virus Research Laboratory located in the Municipal Hospital for Contagious Diseases, from 1948-1955. Research centered on the use of a “killed” virus, which Salk argued was safer, rather than a live culture of the polio vaccine that had been used by other researchers.
Crucial to the development of the vaccine was a rapid color test designed by microbiologist and Salk team member, Julius Youngner. The test measured the amount of the virus in living tissue and allowed researchers to track the effects of the vaccine on the virus. Youngner also shaped techniques used in trypsinization, the process used to grow the polio vaccine in large quantities which enabled research and testing of the vaccine on a large scale.
Support by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis aided Salk in his research. Formed in 1938, the foundation began a campaign in earnest to eradicate the disease and supported Salk’s team through the vaccine trials. After a series of human trials in 1954, which included Salk and his family, the vaccine was pronounced “safe, effective and potent,” on April 12, 1955. The popularity of the vaccine took a hit during the “Cutter Incident,” when Cutter Laboratories mixed in a live strain of the virus into the vaccine batches the lab was manufacturing. The incident resulted in cases of permanent paralysis and five deaths.
In honor of the vaccine, anniversaries of the achievement were celebrated at 10 years, 30 and 50 years post-vaccine trial success. A documentary,
The Shot Felt 'Round the World, produced by Carl Kurlander and directed by Tjardus Greidanus premiered on the 55th anniversary of the vaccine.
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Scope and Content Notes
The Jonas Salk Polio Vaccine Collection consists of materials relating to the history of polio, Jonas Salk's polio vaccine research and trials, and anniversaries celebrating the Salk team's achievement. Materials originate from a variety of sources that track the development of the polio vaccine. Among these resources can be found newspaper articles dating from 1917 to 2005 regarding the issue of polio and detailing the efforts of Salk and his team. The collection also includes early reports in the fight against polio, a radio interview, and still and digital photographic images.
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Arrangement
The Jonas Salk Polio Vaccine Collection is arranged according to subject and chronological within each series.
Series I. History and Anniversaries
Series II. Newspaper clippings
Series III. Photographs
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Administrative Information
Publication Information
ULS Archives & Special Collections, August 2010
University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives & Special Collections
Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
412-648-3232 (ASC) | 412-648-8190 (Hillman)
Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist
Revision Description
Additional material has been gathered from the University Archives vertical file. September 2012
Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright
The University of Pittsburgh holds the property rights to the material in this collection, but the copyright may still be held by the original creator/author. Researchers are therefore advised to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that go beyond what is allowed by fair use.
Acquisition Information
Portions of this collection were deposited by Lisa Rossi, Associate Director, Health Science News Bureau. Additional material has been gathered from the University Archives vertical file.
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Miriam Meislik and Tiffany Brand in August 2010. The collection was reorganized to incorporate additional materials added in September 2012.
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital reproductions of the photographs are available
online as part of the University of Pittsburgh Historic Photographs collection.
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Related Materials
Related Material
Thomas Parran Papers, 1916-1962, UA.90.F14, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
UA.Film.Video
CBS See It Now-Edward R. Murrow Interviews Jonas Salk, 1953
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Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Name(s)
- National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.
- University of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine.
- University of Pittsburgh. Virus Research Laboratory.
Genre(s)
- Clippings (Information artifacts)
- Photographs
Personal Name(s)
Subject(s)
- Academic medical centers -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Health and medicine
- Medicine -- Research -- Pennsylvania
- Medicine -- Societies, etc.
- Poliomyelitis vaccine -- Development
- Poliomyelitis vaccine -- Research
- Public health -- United States
- Research institutes -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Universities and colleges -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- University of Pittsburgh
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Previous Citation
Jonas Salk Polio Vaccine Collection, 1917-2005, UA.90.F89, University Archives, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
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Collection Inventory
Series I. Polio Vaccine History and Anniversaries, 1917-2005
Scope and Content Notes
Items relating to the history of polio research and the 10th and 50th anniversaries celebrating the vaccine including published papers, memorabilia, and press materials.
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| Box | Folder | | Polio Vaccine Timeline, | 1 | 1 |
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| Folder | | Press Releases, 1952-2005 | 2 |
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| Folder | | Jonas Salk, "The Importance of Identifying the Polio Viruses" January 1, 1950 | 3 |
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| Folder | | Jonas Salk, "Studies in Human Subjects on Active Immunization Against Poliomyelitis" March 28, 1953 | 4 |
Article published in the
Journal of the American Medical Association reporting on the research being conducted on polio at the Virus Research Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh. Co-authors included Major Byron L. Bennett, L. James Lewis, Elsie Ward, and Julius Youngner.
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| Folder | | "Poliomyelitis Vaccine Types 1, 2, and 3" April 25, 1954 | 5 |
Report issued by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis on the state of polio research and work of Dr. Jonas Salk.
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| Folder | | J. S. Youngner, "Demonstration of Neutralizing Antibodies for Poliomyelitis Viruses", September 1955 | 6 |
Original typescript written by Julius Younger discussing techniques of neutralizing antibodies for poliomyelitis viruses. Published September 1955 in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
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| Folder | | Kenneth S. Landauer, "Passive and Active Immunization Against Poliomyelitis: Current Status" Summer 1954 | 7 |
Published report detailing the advances made in polio research with attention paid to the work at the University of Pittsburgh. Landauer was the Assistant Medical Director at the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.
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| Folder | | Polio Pioneer, Card and Badge 1954 | 8 |
Three items relating to the Polio Pioneer program. Included is a membership card indicating that the bearer is a Polio Pioneer; a badge with the words Polio Pioneer, the date of 1954 and a red silhouette of a man in a lab looking through a microscope; and one letter of authenticity from a Polio Pioneer discussing her experience as one of the children receiving the vaccine at the Crossroads Elementary School in Norfolk, Virginia.
Polio Pioneers were one of nearly two million first, second, and third graders from 217 test sites in 44 states who were the first to receive the Salk vaccine.
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| Folder | | Memo, "Blank Check" February 19, 1953 | 9 |
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| Folder | | Poverello Medal, December 4, 1955 | 10 |
Program and certificate awarding Jonas Salk the Povarello Medal during Founder's Day festivities at The College of Steubenville, Stuebenville, Ohio.
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| Folder | | Transcript, "See It Now" 1955 | 11 |
Transcript published by Simon and Schuster of Edward R. Murrow's interview with Jonas Salk on the program, "See It Now". One 16mm BW film of the program and digitized copy are available.
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| Folder | | Transcript, John Callaway Interviews Jonas Salk, October 29, 1981 | 12 |
Transcript from the interview with Dr. Jonas Salk on the WTTW Chicago produced show,
John Callaway Interviews.
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| Folder | | 10th Anniversary Booklet April 12, 1965 | 13 |
|
50th Anniversary, 2005 |
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| Folder | | Jonas Salk Stamp | 14 |
Photocopied enlargement of a 33 cent stamp honoring Jonas Salk created for the 50th anniversary of the polio vaccine.
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| Folder | | Polio Vaccine 50th Anniversary Commemoration Press Materials, | 15 |
Compact discs containing digital images and digital press materials used in promotion of the 50th anniversary of the polio vaccine. Also included is an NPR interview dated April 12, 2005 from the Morning Edition program.
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| Folder | | Polio Vaccine 50th Anniversary Commemoration Press Materials, 2005 | 16 |
This file contains items including the official University of Pittsburgh/UPMC press kit for the 50th anniversary.
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| Folder | | Polio Vaccine 50th Anniversary Commemoration Press Materials, January 2005- April 2005 | 17 |
Bound copies of press releases and news clippings gathered to document the 50th anniversary of the polio vaccine.
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| Folder | | Polio Vaccine 50th Anniversary News Clippings, 2005
2.0 folders
| 18-19 |
Newspaper clippings and other news related articles from print and web resources discussing the 50th anniversary of the Polio vaccine.
|
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| Folder | | Polio Vaccine 50th Anniversary Ephemera, 1955-2005 | 20 |
Published resources discussing Polio and the vaccine including pamphlets; a chronology of the field trials; a fact sheet regarding the announcement of the vaccine on April 12, 1955; the Jonas Salk stamp; and documents discussing, "Whatever Happened to Polio?"
|
|
| Folder | | "Defeat of an Enemy" 2005 | 21 |
Book published by the University of Pittsburgh to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the polio vaccine. The book includes sections providing a timeline of polio vaccine history, biographies of symposium presenters, a photo essay, stories about the fight against polio in other countries, and a montage of newspaper mastheads announcing the end of polio.
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Series II. Newspaper Clippings, 1917-2005
30.0 folders
Scope and Content Notes
Photocopied newspaper clippings documenting the history of polio including the frustration in treating infantile paralysis, the development of the polio vaccine, testing of the polio vaccine, the 10th 25th, and 50th anniversaries of the polio vaccine, and Salk's work on the AIDS vaccine.
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| Box | Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1917 | 2 | 1 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, ca. 1945 | 2 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1951 | 3 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1952 | 4 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1953 | 5 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1954 | 6 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1955 | 7 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1956 | 8 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1957 | 9 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1958 | 10 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1959 | 11 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1960 | 12 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1961 | 13 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1962 | 14 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1963 | 15 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1966 | 16 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1967 | 17 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1975 | 18 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1980 | 19 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1983 | 20 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1984 | 21 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1985 | 22 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1986 | 23 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1989 | 24 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1990 | 25 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1991 | 26 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1993 | 27 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 1994 | 28 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 2004 | 29 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper clippings, 2005 | 30 |
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Series III. Polio Vaccine Photographs, 1954-1965
9.0 folders
Scope and Content Notes
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| Box | Folder | | Portraits, Jonas Salk, 1953-1960 | 3 | 1 |
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| Folder | | Jonas Salk at Airport, 1955 | 2 |
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| Folder | | Vaccine Team Contact Sheets, 1954 | 3 |
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| Folder | | Salk Soldiers, April 29, 1955 | 4 |
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| Folder | | Lab Photographs, 1953 | 5 |
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| Folder | | Inoculations, 1954-1963 | 6 |
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| Folder | | 4x5 Negative Contact Sheets, 1953-1954 | 7 |
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| Folder | | 4x5 Negatives, 1953-1965 | 8 |
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| Folder | | 35mm Slides, 1954-1955 | 9 |
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