Learn about the history of St. Jude, why Danny Thomas founded our organization and the impact we’ve had on our patients and their families over the years.
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Who we are
Located in Memphis, Tennessee, St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Through groundbreaking treatment and research methods, expert staff and our community of supporters, St. Jude provides customized care for some of the world's sickest children regardless of their race, ethnicity, beliefs or ability to pay.
When was St. Jude founded?
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital opened on February 4, 1962, in Memphis, Tenn., in front of a crowd of 9,000 people. Since then, we’ve been working tirelessly to save the lives of children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
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Why did Danny Thomas open St. Jude?
More than 70 years ago,Danny Thomaswas a young entertainer with a baby on the way. Work wasn't easy to come by, and his despair grew. He turned toSt. JudeThaddeus, 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 onMake Room for Daddy, later known asThe Danny Thomas Show.
Danny used his fame to fulfill his vow, and, in 1962, St. Jude opened, changing the lives of thousands of children and their families.
St. Jude timeline and milestones
1962
St. Jude opens
On February 4, 1962, we open our doors and begin our journey toward curing childhood cancer.
1966
Sustained remission
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
Sickle cell research begins
We launch the first major effort to understand the lifelong progression of sickle cell disease.
1984
After Completion of Therapy Clinic opens
We open the After Completion of Therapy Clinic, the world's largest long-term follow-up clinic for pediatric cancer patients.
1996
Peter Doherty wins the Nobel Prize
Peter Doherty, PhD, St. Jude Immunology chair, is awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.
2006
94% survival rate for ALL
St. Jude reports a 94% survival rate for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), using therapy that does not include radiation.
2007
LIFE study begins
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
National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center designation
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
Pediatric Genome Project launches
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 largest such initiative in the world, scientists compare the complete normal and cancer genomes of 800 childhood cancer patients with some of the toughest and least understood pediatric cancers.
2018
WHO partnership
St. Jude and World Health Organization (WHO) 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
Gene therapy cures babies with "bubble boy" disease
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.
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“A dream is one thing. A realization is something entirely separate."
-Danny Thomas, founder of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Help us continue our lifesaving work
When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was considered largely incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80%, and we won't stop until no child dies from cancer.
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Find other ways to support our mission.
Learn more about the St. Jude story
The founding of St. Jude
Danny Thomas vowed he'd build a hospital if he ever became famous. Hear his words about the founding of St. Jude in this video.
St. Jude Founder's Day video
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Danny Thomas vowed he'd build a hospital if he ever became famous.
Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — so they can focus on helping their child live.
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