In Memoriam: Jane Cooke Wright, 1919-2013

JaneCookeWrightJane Cooke Wright, a pioneer in the use of chemotherapy to treat cancer and a leading medical educator, died late last month at her home in Gutttenberg, New Jersey. She was 93 years old.

Dr. Wright was born into a prosperous Black family in New York. Her father was one of the early Black graduates of Harvard Medical School and was the first Black physician appointed to a staff position at a New York City public hospital.

Jane Cooke Wright was a graduate of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, and the New York Medical College. After a residency at Bellevue Hospital, she joined her father at Harlem Hospital where he was the director of the Cancer Research Foundation, and conducted research on drugs to combat cancer. Upon her father’s death, she succeeded him as head of the foundation.

In 1955, Dr. Wright was appointed associate professor of surgical research at New York University Medical Center. There she was part of a team that developed a nonsurgical system to deliver cancer-fighting drugs to hard to reach organs. In 1964 she one of the founders of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. When she was named professor of surgery and chair of the cancer chemotherapy department at New York Medical College in 1967, she was the highest-ranked African American woman at any predominantly white U.S. medical school.

Dr. Wright retired in 1987.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs