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Triumph Over Tragedy: The Lasting Legacy of Thomas Francis Jr.
Triumph Over Tragedy: The Lasting Legacy of Thomas Francis Jr.
by Mia Yen
Breathing machines. Quarantine. Fear. A worldwide scramble to find a vaccine. All the above became too familiar during the COVID-19 pandemic. These conditions were also seen decades before but with a different disease: polio. Despite polio’s devastation, this period also experienced leaders like Thomas Francis Jr. triumph over the disease (source). The University of Michigan’s Thomas Francis Jr. Building serves as a reminder of his lasting impact.
With frequent epidemics in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, polio (officially called poliomyelitis) was the most feared disease in the world. Highly infectious, polio attacks the nervous system and can lead to spinal and respiratory paralysis and death (“History”). Survivors often suffer lifelong disabilities. By the mid-20th century, over half a million people worldwide were killed or paralyzed by polio every year (“History”).
However, on April 12, 1955, the world found relief in Dr. Thomas Francis Jr., director of the Poliomyelitis Vaccine Evaluation Center at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. On this day in Ann Arbor, the respected virologist and epidemiologist announced the first effective polio vaccine, developed by Francis’ former student, Jonas Salk (“About”). The announcement came after Francis led a two-year field trial of Salk’s polio vaccine. More than 1.8 million children from the U.S., Canada, and Finland participated. With the vaccine, annual polio cases in the U.S. dropped from 58,000 to 5,600 by 1957. By 1961, only 161 known cases remained (“History”).
The Thomas Francis Jr. Building sits in a busy location and is within walking distance of three undergraduate dormitories and two dining halls. Photo by Mia Yen (October 01, 2024).
The School of Public Health at the University of Michigan. The Henry F. Vaughn (left) and Thomas Francis Jr. (right) buildings are the School of Public Health’s two primary facilities and are connected. Photo by Mia Yen (October 01, 2024).
Thomas Francis Jr.’s contribution to the polio vaccine was just one of his many impacts on epidemiology and virology. In 1941, as director of the Commission on Influenza of the U.S. Army Epidemiological Board, Francis helped develop a vaccine effective against influenza A and B (“About”). This vaccine, used to protect U.S. military forces during World War II, saved more than one million lives (Tobin). That same year, Francis was invited to start the Department of Epidemiology at the newly established UM School of Public Health. He remained head of the Epidemiology Department until 1969 (“About”).
Constructed in 1971, the Thomas Francis Jr. Building boasts seven levels of labs, lecture halls, offices, and classrooms. It’s one of the UM School of Public Health’s two primary facilities and houses various university departments, including the Center for Molecular and Clinical Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases (“Public”). Besides this building, the Thomas Francis Jr. Medal in Global Public Health also carries his name at UM. The university grants this prestigious award to a recipient who has bettered global public health and helped establish a healthier future for society (“Thomas Francis, Jr. Medal”).
Thomas Francis Jr.’s name reflects his ambition and continued impact on the world. Francis is derived from the Latin name “Franciscus” meaning “free” or “from France” (“Origin”). This name is associated with the qualities of independence and courage (“Francis”). Thomas Francis Jr. embodied these qualities, pioneering groundbreaking concepts in pandemic prevention and paving the way for future epidemiologists. He continues to inspire others, and the impact of his work will undoubtedly last longer than any building.
Works Cited
“1955 Polio Vaccine Trial Announcement.” University of Michigan School of Public Health, sph.umich.edu/polio/. Accessed 30 Sept. 2024.
“About Thomas Francis, Jr..” Office of the President, University of Michigan, president.umich.edu/honors-awards/francis-medal/about-thomas-francis-jr/. Accessed 30 Sept. 2024.
“Francis.” Mama Natural, 20 Feb. 2024, mamanatural.com/baby-names/boys/francis/. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024.
“History of the Polio Vaccination.” who.org, World Health Organization, who.int/news-room/spotlight/history-of-vaccination/history-of-polio-vaccination. Accessed 30 Sept. 2024.
“Origin and Meaning of First Name Francis.” Ancestry.com, ancestry.com/first-name-meaning/francis. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024.
“Public Health II.” Campus Information, University of Michigan, maps.studentlife.umich.edu/building/thomas-francis-jr-building. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024.
Slottow, Timothy P. “Action Request.” Received by The University of Michigan Regents Communication, 20 Nov. 2008, Ann Arbor, Michigan. regents.umich.edu/files/meetings/11-08/2008-11-IX-6.pdf Accessed 22 Oct. 2024.
“Thomas Francis, Jr. Medal in Global Public Health.” Office of the President, University of Michigan, president.umich.edu/honors-awards/francis-medal/. Accessed 30 Sept. 2024.
“Thomas Francis Jr. Memorial Lecture.” Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, sph.umich.edu/epid/thomas_francis_memorial_lecture-2022.html. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024.
Tobin, James. “The First Flu Shot.” University of Michigan Heritage Project, University of Michigan, heritage.umich.edu/stories/the-first-flu-shot/. Accessed 30 Sept. 2024.
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