Previous | Next
Part: 12 Session: 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536 Page 471472473474475476477478479480481482483484485486487488489490491492493494495496497498499500501502503504505506 of 1143
Yes. In other words, two and a half million was available for research in 1946, as a result of our 25 percent formula. Well, this suddenly made a sum of money that nobody had ever heard of before for research, in one pocket, on an annual basis. One of Albert's main contributions to the Cancer Society and to the cancer cause was his influencing of key people in the Cancer Society to testify on behalf of more funds for the National Cancer Institute of the Public Health Service. I persuaded him to do this, and it really took him--because I could never have done it; the doctors were very reactionary; the businessmen who were interested were Republicans and not particularly interested in Federal funds; and there was the general attitude that we would be competing with ourselves if the Federal government put any money in cancer research.
The National Cancer Institute had only about $500,000 for its own intramural research and grants-in-aid program in '46. Albert went down with me and James Adams and Dr. Oughterson, and they testified on the need for vastly increased funds for cancer research in connection with the Pepper-Nealy bill hearing, the bill for cancer research. This set a policy which the American Cancer Society has followed ever since. Albert persuaded the Society that any funds that they raised through testimony and influence in Washington was but an extension of their own fund raising efforts, and this has continued to be their policy, thank heaven. And it has been influential with other voluntary organizations who have also supported the idea of Federal funds.
© 2006 Columbia University Libraries | Oral History Research Office | Rights and Permissions | Help