Dr. Jonas Salk, who developed the first safe and effective polio vaccine with funding from the March of Dimes in the 1950s, was born on this day in 1914. At the close of a centenary year of public events held to honor his life and achievements, the March of Dimes celebrates Dr. Salk once again on his birthday.
The March of Dimes continues to honor Dr. Salk’s legacy by educating the public on the vital importance of protecting adults and children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Dr. Salk is represented alongside March of Dimes founder President Franklin D. Roosevelt on a commemorative coin issued by the United States Mint. The two men shared a determination to find a vaccine to prevent this terrible epidemic disease that once killed or paralyzed thousands of Americans, mostly children, each year. The reverse side of the coin depicts a baby cuddled in the hand of its parent, illustrating the March of Dimes dedication to the health of babies everywhere.
Later on, Dr. Salk went on to found the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, also with the support of the March of Dimes.