Table of Contents • I. Poliomyelitis, Treatment, and Prevention Prior to 1955 • II. The Arrival of the Salk Polio Vaccine: Documents, April-July 1955 • III. Postscript - Polio Prevention after Jonas Salk • IV. Bibliography and Resources • V. Student Assignments • A. Jonas Salk: 'Benefactor of Mankind' • B. The Evolving Role of the Federal Government • C. Policy Lessons Learned • VI. Catalogue of Sources

V. Student Assignments

The following writing assignments are based on the source materials presented throughout the site (a complete listing of all sources appears in Section VI). They are provided to encourage students to examine closely the historical documents and recordings and to offer their own interpretations based on the context provided here and from the resources provided in Section IV.

As noted previously, the story of the Salk polio vaccine bridges multiple aspects of 20th century American society. The assignments below invite students to develop their own historical analyses of the people, developments, and decisions during this period.

A. Jonas Salk: 'Benefactor of Mankind'

Jonas Salk Displaying the Citation Given by President Eisenhower, April 22, 1955. (Source: Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library)

Observers of the development of the first polio vaccine - particularly historians and scientists - frequently note how the public portrayal of Jonas Salk failed to acknowledge the contributions of other researchers that were essential to the vaccine's arrival. Explanations for how Salk became a singular hero typically include media accounts (such as Video Clip Q) and the scientist's own willingness to embrace the public spotlight.

Examine in a short essay (4-5 pages) the ways in which the words and actions of President Eisenhower and his advisors also could have contributed to the mystique surrounding Jonas Salk. In what contexts and to what ends was Salk's name invoked? What might it reveal about how science and scientific research were perceived by government leaders and the public at the time? For Eisenhower and his administration, what were some of the possible advantages of presenting Salk as the lone face behind the "triumph over polio"?

Suggested Sources: Students are encouraged to examine all of the sources included in this site as well as the online and print resources listed in Section VI. In particular, students should be sure to consult Documents B, C, D, and I and Audio Clip S.

B. The Evolving Role of the Federal Government

"Plan for Interstate Distribution of Poliomyelitis Vaccine," from Document J

The remarkable pace of the Salk polio vaccine's approval, production, and national distribution required an enormous collaborative effort among the federal government, state governments, vaccine manufacturers, public health agencies, physicians, and other groups. In a short essay (4-5 pages), trace the multiple roles of the Eisenhower administration, both in public and behind-the-scenes, as it coordinated the national roll-out of the vaccine. Looking at the events of 12 April 1955 in particular, how did the government's role change before and after the announcement of the field trial results? How do the documents from the Eisenhower library reveal and reflect the administration's general view on the proper role of the federal government?

Suggested Sources: Students are encouraged to examine all of the sources included in this site as well as the online and print resources listed in Section VI. In particular, students should be sure to consult Documents D, E, F, H, I, and J.

C. Policy Lessons Learned

It is 2015 and you are a special advisor to the president of the United States. For the past four years, a recently identified infectious disease named histovirus has sickened 140,000 Americans and killed nearly 25,000 annually. News has arrived at the White House that researchers developing a vaccine against histovirus expect successful results from a large scale trial of the vaccine within the next 6-8 months. The nation is eagerly awaiting news about the trial, and demand for the vaccine is certain to be great if and when the vaccine becomes available to the public.

The president, eager to learn from the actions of his predecessors, wishes to explore parallels between these current developments and those 60 years earlier involving polio and the Salk vaccine (of which he has only a vague knowledge). Aware of your knowledge and training in history, he asks for your assistance.

Using documents provided to you by the president's staff (Documents A-M), prepare a five-page memo for the president. It should review the Eisenhower administration's activities surrounding the Salk polio vaccine and provide your assessment of the relevance, if any, of these events to histovirus vaccine planning efforts. Be sure to address aspects of the polio vaccine program that may be worth repeating as well as those in which you believe a different course of action would be preferable. Finally, provide the president with an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of relying on historical events to guide future actions.

Suggested Sources: Students are encouraged to examine all of the sources included in this site as well as the online and print resources listed in Section VI.

Continue to Catalogue of Sources