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The 50th Anniversary Program
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Is there a lesson to be learned from the story that has unfolded in the past 40 years, and what may be anticipated in the future upon which we look back 40 years hence? - Jonas Salk, MD


Introductory Remarks by President Mary Sue Coleman Keynote Speech by Dr. William Foege

THE THOMAS FRANCIS, JR. MEDAL
IN GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH

The 50th Anniversary Program — April 12, 2005


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program details
visitor information

April 12, 1955, was a remarkable day. An announcement made at 10am at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor literally changed the world, when Dr. Thomas Francis, Jr., announced that the new Salk polio vaccine was “safe, effective, and potent.”

So ended the largest field trial in the history of medicine, and so began the worldwide eradication of the dreaded disease of poliomyelitis.

This year, on April 12, 2005, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the announcement with a very special program at Rackham Auditorium, site of the original announcement.

We will be presenting the first “Thomas Francis Jr. Medal in Global Public Health” to William Foege, a distinguished leader in the field of public health. The medal honors a person whose lifetime dedication to public health mirrors that of the medal’s namesake, and Dr. Foege is certainly an apt choice.

Foege began a lifelong interest in infectious disease research when he went to Nigeria in 1966 as a medical missionary. In 1977, he became Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), then joined the Carter Center as executive director in 1986. He has been senior advisor to the Gates Foundation since 1999. We are indeed honored to be able to give this award to Dr. Foege.

Program Details

Date
April 12, 2005
Location
Rackham Building
915 East Washington Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Time
9:30am–noon
Rackham Auditorium

Presentation of the Thomas Francis, Jr., Medal in Global Public Health to William H. Foege, MD, MPH

Senior Fellow
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Health Program

The Thomas Francis, Jr., Lecture

Presented by Dr. Foege

Video featuring historic footage of the Polio Vaccine Announcement

Panel discussion featuring leaders in public health and medicine

  • Moderated by Harvey Fineberg, Institute of Medicine
  • Jon Andrus, World Health Organization
  • Richard Goodman, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Sunny Roller, University of Michigan
  • Mark Wilson, University of Michigan

Location & Time
Noon
Rackham Lobby

Public reception


Location & Time
3pm–4pm
Rackham Auditorium

Panel discussion moderated by Howard Markel, MD, Ph.D., University of Michigan

Panel participants:

  • Jeffrey P. Baker, Duke University
  • Jeffrey Kluger, TIME Magazine
  • David M. Oshinsky, University of Texas at Austin
  • Naomi Rogers, Yale University
  • Daniel J. Wilson, Muhlenberg College

For details about the lecture or panel presentations, please call 734-647-7900.

Visitor Information

Visitors to the Ann Arbor area can find information about accommodations, restaurants, activities, maps of the town and campus, and more at the following websites:

And check the U-M’s Visitors web page for more information on attractions, weather, athletics, and much more.