White House Press Release about Dr. Jonas E. Salk
4/22/1955
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This White House Press Release publicizes the presidential citations that President Dwight D. Eisenhower presented to Jonas Salk, the creator of the first successful polio vaccine, and the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, an organization created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt that helped fund the development of the Salk polio vaccine. The ceremony itself took place at the White House on April 22, 1955.
Just a few days earlier, on April 12, Dr. Thomas Francis Jr., Director of the Poliomyelitis Vaccine Evaluation Center at the University of Michigan, declared Salk’s polio vaccine safe and effective, prompting celebrations across the nation.
By 1957, polio cases had decreased by ninety percent.
Just a few days earlier, on April 12, Dr. Thomas Francis Jr., Director of the Poliomyelitis Vaccine Evaluation Center at the University of Michigan, declared Salk’s polio vaccine safe and effective, prompting celebrations across the nation.
By 1957, polio cases had decreased by ninety percent.
This primary source comes from the Collection DDE-WHCF: White House Central Files (Eisenhower Administration).
National Archives Identifier: 12166355
Full Citation: White House Press Release With the Text of Citations Given by the President to Dr. Jonas E. Salk and the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis; 4/22/1955; OF 117-I-1 Salk Polio Vaccine (8); Official Files, 1953 - 1961; Collection DDE-WHCF: White House Central Files (Eisenhower Administration); Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, Abilene, KS. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/white-house-press-release-about-dr-jonas-e-salk, September 7, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
