The National Seed Storage Laboratory opens in Fort Collins, Colorado
In 1958, the National Seed Storage Laboratory (NSSL), the first long-term seed storage facility in the world, opened…
Biology | Diagnostics | Disease | Life Science History | Non-Profit Research | Radiology | Therapeutics
The Pacific Northwest Research Institute was founded
On Oct. 19, 1956, the Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute (PNDRI) was founded by William B. Hutchinson, Sr.,…
Seven students participated in the OMRF Summer Scholar Program, forerunner of the Fleming Scholar Program
In 1956, seven students participated in the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Summer Scholar Program which was originated by…
Agriculture | Biology | Environmental | EPA | Forestry | Life Science History | USDA
USDA Forest Service Spayed DDT to Control spruce budworm in Oregon Forest
In Jul. 1955, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) sprayed DDT as…
Officials discover polio cases after vaccine produced by Cutter Laboratories accidently contained live virus
On Apr. 26, 1955, Officials first noticed an increase in reported polio cases in California. Soon it was…
Convocation held at the University of Michigan proclaimed “The Vaccine Works!”
On Apr. 12, 1955, a convocation was held at the University of Michigan (UM), where Dr. Thomas Francis…
Biology | Diagnostics | Life Science History | NIH | Polio | Vaccine
The Division of Biologics Control became an independent entity within the National Institutes of Health
In 1955, the Division of Biologics Control (DBS) became an independent entity within the National Institutes of Health…
Biology | Diagnostics | Disease | Life Science History | Measles | Non-Profit Research | Therapeutics
Mayo Clinic Heritage Hall opened its doors
In 1955, The Mayo Clinic Heritage Hall museum opened in Rochester, Minnesota with a generous gift from John…
Canada contributed to the safe cultivation of the poliovirus for polio vaccine
In 1955, Canada contributed to the safe cultivation of the poliovirus, using Medium 199, and an incubation process…
Dr. James Bowman studied favism, the deficiency of glucose-6-dehydrogenase
In 1955, geneticist Dr. James Bowman studied favism, the deficiency of glucose-6-dehydrogenase, in Iran. Favism is an acute…
The largest controlled Polio vaccine field trial in the history of medicine got under way
On Apr. 26, 1954, the largest controlled Polio vaccine field trial in the history of medicine got under…
The Vaccine Advisory Committee recommended large-scale national trial of Salk’s vaccine
On Apr. 25, 1954, the Vaccine Advisory Committee of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, now known as…
Dr. C. Walton Lillehei performed the world’s first open-heart operation using cross-circulation
On Mar. 26, 1954, Dr. C. Walton Lillehei at the University of Minnesota performed the world’s first open-heart…
Polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk first used in mass inoculation
On Feb. 23, 1954, the first mass inoculation of the new Polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk…
elementary students from five suburban schools were the first to be inoculated with the new Salk Polio vaccine
In February 1954, first-, second- and third-grade students from five suburban schools were the first to be inoculated…
John Enders, Thomas Weller, and Frederick Robbins were awarded Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
In 1954, John Franklin Enders and Thomas C. Peebles isolated measles virus from an 11-year-old boy, David Edmonston….
McLaughlin Research Institute was established
In 1954, The McLaughlin Research Institute began with the arrival of Dr. Ernst Eichwald, recruited as a pathologist…
Dr. Mary Carpenter became the first female member of OMRF’s scientific staff
In 1954, Dr. Mary Carpenter became the first female member of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) scientific staff…
Linus Carl Pauling was awarded the 1954 Nobel Prize for Chemistry
In 1954, Linus Carl Pauling (B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Oregon State University, 1922) was awarded the Nobel Prize for…
Dr. Jonas Salk and associates develop a potentially safe injectable vaccine against polio
In 1954, Dr. Jonas Salk and associates develop a potentially safe injectable vaccine against polio given to nearly…
Biology | Diagnostics | Disease | Life Science History | Medical Device | Medicine | Non-Profit Research | Therapeutics
Howard Hughes Medical Institute was founded
On Dec. 17, 1953, Howard Hughes signed documents that created the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, formed with the…
Dr. Jonas Salk initiated the first community-based pilot trial of the polio vaccine in a Pittsburgh suburb
On May 16, 1953, Dr. Jonas Salk initiated the first community-based pilot trial of the Polio vaccine in…
Nature published Watson and Crick’s manuscript describing double helical structure of DNA
On Apr. 25, 1953, Nature published James Watson’s and Francis Crick’s 900-word manuscript describing the double helical structure…
Dr. Jonas Salk reported results of the first 161 subjects inoculated with Polio vaccine
On Mar. 28, 1953, Dr. Jonas Salk and his team published a landmark article in the Journal of…
Harold Urey and Stanley Miller conducted experiments that suggest amino acids arose in the early Earth’s primordial soup
In 1953, American chemists Harold Urey and Stanley Miller reported the production of biomolecules from simple gaseous starting…
Agriculture | Biology | Disease | Life Science History | Medicine | Non-Profit Research | Therapeutics | Veterinary
Betty Delores Stough became the first woman to earn a PhD at the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (parasitology)
In 1953, Betty Delores Stough became the first woman to earn a Ph.D. at the Virginia Agricultural and…
Biology | Diagnostics | Disease | Life Science History | Medicine | Non-Profit Research | Polio | Therapeutics | Vaccine
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies was founded in La Jolla, California
In 1953, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies was founded in La Jolla, California. For more than a…
Dr. William Hammon published first evidence that antibodies to polio could prevent disease
In Oct. 1952, Dr. William McDowall Hammon of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health published…
Dr. Jonas Salk began taking blood samples from recently paralyzed polio patients to determine antibody types
On Jun. 12, 1952, Dr. Jonas Salk went to the D. T. Watson Home for Crippled Children (now…
Dr. William Hammon enrolled 15,868 children in Sioux City, Iowa for Polio vaccine trial
In Jun. and Jul. of 1952, Dr. William Hammon continued with his gamma globulin Polio vaccine field trials…