THE THOMAS FRANCIS, JR. MEDAL IN GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH

Message from President Mary Sue Coleman

The 50th anniversary celebration of the announcement of the effectiveness of the Salk polio vaccine commemorates one of the shining moments in the University’s history, but it is not an isolated incident by any means.

Universities create tremendous value for society. The intellectual resources of a large research university make everyone’s life richer, healthier, and more fulfilling.

The University of Michigan provides the environment where innovative young scientists such as Dr. Jonas Salk can excel. We spawn big ideas that become important institutions in their own right, like the National Sanitation Foundation. And we conduct research that make lives better, like the massive double-blind field trial that Dr. Thomas Francis Jr. designed and led to ensure the safety of the Salk Polio vaccine.

We are committed to improving public health and welfare through our work. Today, as this planet becomes one large community, the University of Michigan continues to lead thinking, research, and education in globalization. In public health particularly, we face new global challenges and old enemies, including polio, that require our continued vigilance and innovation. This University will continue to produce the best young minds, the biggest new ideas, and the robust research that ties it all together.

Simply put, our core mission is to freely discover new knowledge and to share it widely with the world, just as Dr. Francis did 50 years ago today. We couldn’t be more proud.