Supplement to the Citations Given by the President to Dr. Jonas E. Salk and the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis

Extracted text

OCR Page 1 of 2
IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 22, 1955 James C. Hagerty, Press Secretary to the President THE WHITE HOUSE Supplement to the Citations Presented by the President to Dr. Jonas E. Salk and the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (After introduction of Dr. Salk by Mrs. Hobby' and reading Citation) The President: Dr. Salk, before I hand you this Citation, I should like to say to you that when I think of the countles thousands of American parents and grandparents who are hereafter to be spared the agonizing fears of the annual epidemic of poliomyelitis, When I think of all the agony that these people will be spared seeing their loved ones suffering in bed, I must say to you I have no words in which adequately to express the thanks of myself and all the people I know -- all 164 million Americans, to say nothing of all the people in the world that will profit from your discovery. I am very, very happy to hand this to you. ( After introduction of Basil O'Connor by Secretary Hobby and after the President read Citation) The President : And there, of course, remains the great problem of rapid production, distribution on the fairest possible basis, and to that problem as Secretary Hobby has said, you and many others are working and contributing to carry the thing forward until there is no more poliomyelitis remaining in the United States. And I thank you and all of the Foundation of which you are President, ######