4. Dr. Jane Cooke Wright
Episode 4 of the Public Health Heroes! podcast, hosted by Adam Graczyk, titled "4. Dr. Jane Cooke Wright" was published on July 30, 2023 and runs 1 minutes.
July 30, 2023 ·1m · Public Health Heroes!
Summary
Dr. Jane Cooke Wright, lived from 1919 to 2013.Born in Manhattan, New York, she decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and became a Physician, graduating from New York Medical College at the top of her class. Her early medical career had her working in Cancer Research at Harlem Hospital, studying chemotherapy drugs and treatments.At age 33, she was appointed Head of Cancer Research, leading programs studying stroke, heart disease, and cancer at the New York University Medical Center. In 1964, she was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson to the Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer, and Stroke and became the founding member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, representing 40,000 oncology professionals. At a time when African American women physicians numbered only a few hundred in the entire United States, Dr. Wright was the highest ranked African American woman at a nationally recognized medical institution. Thank you, Dr. Wright, for being a public health hero! This biography is based on publicly available information and was edited by Hugh Dunn and Adam Graczyk.
Episode Description
Dr. Jane Cooke Wright, lived from 1919 to 2013.
Born in Manhattan, New York, she decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and became a Physician, graduating from New York Medical College at the top of her class.
Her early medical career had her working in Cancer Research at Harlem Hospital, studying chemotherapy drugs and treatments.
At age 33, she was appointed Head of Cancer Research, leading programs studying stroke, heart disease, and cancer at the New York University Medical Center.
In 1964, she was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson to the Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer, and Stroke and became the founding member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, representing 40,000 oncology professionals. At a time when African American women physicians numbered only a few hundred in the entire United States, Dr. Wright was the highest ranked African American woman at a nationally recognized medical institution.
Thank you, Dr. Wright, for being a public health hero!
This biography is based on publicly available information and was edited by Hugh Dunn and Adam Graczyk.
Similar Episodes
Apr 8, 2026 ·12m
Apr 7, 2026 ·11m
Apr 6, 2026 ·13m