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History of St. Jude

What began as one man’s vision has grown into a place that helps children around the world.

 
Statue of St. Jude Thaddeus outside St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
 
 
 
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Danny Thomas vowed he'd build a hospital if he ever became famous. Hear the story of our founding in his own words.

Watch the story of our founding.

 

Since opening in 1962, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has become a world leader in the research and treatment of childhood catastrophic diseases.

The story of St. Jude reflects purpose, persistence and progress.

 
 

How we began

The origins of St. Jude trace back to our founder, entertainer Danny Thomas, and his belief that “no child should die in the dawn of life.” From the start, St. Jude was dedicated to finding cures for some of the most difficult-to-treat diseases of childhood. It was a place where scientists and doctors worked with purpose to understand disease; move discoveries from the lab to the bedside; and save children, even when the prevailing wisdom was that these children could not be saved. As a research hospital, St. Jude shared these discoveries so more children could benefit.

Equally important was another revolutionary idea: Families should be able to focus on helping their children heal, not on how they would pay for treatment. These ideas created a model unlike any other — one that continues to shape everything we do today.

To bring that vision to life, Danny Thomas created the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC), the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. ALSAC has helped the organization grow since its earliest days.

 
 

Dig deeper into the St. Jude story

 
St. Jude founder Danny Thomas hugs a St. Jude patient.

Danny Thomas and the founding of St. Jude

After Danny Thomas became one of the biggest stars of his time, he took on a new role as founder of St. Jude. Learn more about Danny and how St. Jude came to be.

 
Historical photo of Dr. Rudolph Jackson, MD, holding a slide.

Pioneering racial integration

At a time when segregation was still common, St. Jude became the first fully integrated children's hospital in the South. Read how people from many backgrounds have helped shape our mission.

 
Historical photo of Dr. Donald Pinkel, MD, sitting at his desk smiling.

Our legacy of leadership

Our first director, Donald Pinkel, MD, revolutionized leukemia treatment and set high standards for research and patient care that guide us to this day. Learn about Dr. Pinkel and other leaders who helped St. Jude make a global impact.

 
Historical photo of the original St. Jude Children's Research Hospital building.

The history of ALSAC

ALSAC is the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude; its sole mission is to raise the funds and awareness necessary to operate and maintain the hospital. Discover the origins of ALSAC and how it continues to support St. Jude today.

 
 

60+ years of St. Jude

St. Jude was built on the belief that scientific discovery can change the future for children. See how we've grown over more than 60 years in our effort to see that no child dies in the dawn of life.

 

1960s

 
 

Building a new model

We opened our doors with a bold belief: Research and patient care should advance together. Although St. Jude started small, that vision continues to expand today, scaling its impact to affect outcomes for more children.

 

1970s

 
 

Proving what is possible

We helped show that childhood diseases once deemed untreatable could be cured with science, persistence and innovation.

 

1980s

 
 

Growing stronger

We invested in the people, programs and facilities needed to support future discoveries.

 

1990s

 
 

Looking beyond the cure

As more children survived, we helped people better understand the long-term needs of patients.

 

2000s

 
 

Moving research forward

New tools transformed the pace of research. We focused on understanding disease at its biological roots. This offered new possibilities for more precise treatments.

 

2010s

 
 

Unlocking the genome

Advances in genomics and precision medicine opened new frontiers. We helped lead efforts to understand the genetic drivers of childhood cancer. We shared those insights with scientists around the world.

 

2020s

 
 

Reaching more children

Today, St. Jude works with partners around the world to share knowledge and improve care for children everywhere.

 
 

Your gift supports tomorrow's discoveries

Since opening our doors, we have remained grounded in our founding values. Danny Thomas believed that children with life-threatening diseases deserved both the best science and the greatest compassion. Today, we're continuing that legacy with our strategic plan and the expansion of St. Jude Global.

Unlike other hospitals, the majority of funding for St. Jude comes from generous donors. Your support means St. Jude can give our doctors and researchers the tools and technology they need to make the next groundbreaking discovery.

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