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Our history

“A dream is one thing. A realization is something entirely separate." 

-Danny Thomas, founder of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

 
Danny Thomas in front of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
 
 

Video: The founding of St. Jude

St. Jude Founder's Day video
 
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Danny Thomas vowed he'd build a hospital if he ever became famous.

  

Why Danny Thomas opened St. Jude

More than 70 years ago, Danny Thomas was a young entertainer with a baby on the way. Work wasn't easy to come by, and his despair grew. He turned to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes, and vowed:

Show me my way in life, and I will build you a shrine.

That prayer marked a pivotal moment. Soon after, he began finding work, eventually becoming one of the biggest stars of radio, film and television in his day. He was on Make Room for Daddy, later known as The Danny Thomas Show. 

Danny used his fame to fulfill his vow and to change the lives of thousands of children and families. In 1962, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital opened in front of a crowd of 9,000 in Memphis, Tenn. 

Historical milestones

 

1966

 

A group of St. Jude patients are the first acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients to ever be successfully taken off therapy, based on evidence that remission can be sustained. 

 

1977

 

The hospital launches the first major effort to understand the lifelong progression of sickle cell disease.

 

1984

 

We open the After Completion of Therapy Clinic, the world's largest long-term follow-up clinic for pediatric cancer patients.

 
 

1996

 

Peter Doherty, PhD, St. Jude Immunology chair, is awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.  

 

2006

 

St. Jude reports a 94% survival rate for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), using therapy that does not include radiation.

 

2007

 

The St. Jude LIFE study begins to study the long-term effects of cancer and its treatment. This initiative is one of the most ambitious follow-up projects ever conceived.  

 
 

2008

 

St. Jude is designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center. We're the first and only cancer center solely focused on pediatric cancer to receive this distinction.

 

2010

 

We launch the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, a collaboration with Washington University to uncover why childhood cancer arises, spreads and resists treatment. As part of the world’s largest such initiative, scientists compare the complete normal and cancer genomes of 800 childhood cancer patients with some of the toughest and least understood pediatric cancers.

 

2018

 

St. Jude and World Health Organization announce a five-year collaboration to transform cancer care by curing at least 60% of children with six of the most common kinds of cancer worldwide by 2030.

 
 

2019

 

St. Jude announces a cure for SCID-X1, commonly known as bubble boy disease. By combining gene therapy and low-dose chemotherapy with busulfan, immune function is restored in infants with the disorder. 

 
 

Continue exploring our history

 
Two researches looking into a microscope

St. Jude was the first integrated children's hospital in the South.

 
St. Jude patient in a superhero cape

We've won clinical and scientific achievements. 

 
St. Jude CEO

Learn about our CEOs since 1961. 

 
St. Jude campus

Continue reading about our history. 

 
 
St. Jude patient Eri'elle plays outside using a stethoscope on her mom

St. Jude patient Eri'elle with her mom

 

Because of supporters like you, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food.

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