Home
Search transcripts:    Advanced Search
Notable New     Yorkers
Select     Notable New Yorker

Mary LaskerMary Lasker
Photo Gallery
Transcript

Part:         Session:         Page of 999

Q:

Is he influential in New York State?

Lasker:

Well, he's influential in Westchester County, I would say, and he's been working with the Heart Institute.

In February, around the middle of February, before I went to California, I went to see President Carter with a presentation, which I hope Jane has got for you. Yes, this was the presentation. It's printed, but we had a typewritten presentation. You see, the death rate didn't vary much in twenty years. These are the antibiotics, see? And this is the first time it's ever gone under 9 per 1,000. In 1977, the lowest death rate in the history of the U.S. is recorded at 8.8 per thousand.

Q:

And you gave this to the President?

Lasker:

Yes. Only it was typewritten. And I urged him to send a Health Message to Congress about it. I urged him to appoint a commission on the treatment of high blood pressure. He said he would read the material, and later, some months later, I got a letter from Eisenstadt saying that the President had given him the material, the President was going to make a speech on health and this would be used in it. And about three weeks ago, I got another letter from him, saying he'd turned the material over to Mr. Onek, and that they were still working on the matter. Now, we'll see what happens.

Q:

But this sppech on health has not been given yet?





© 2006 Columbia University Libraries | Oral History Research Office | Rights and Permissions | Help