Technical Notes
Papers of Mary Lasker Added to Profiles in Science®
In the decades after World War II, Mary Lasker acted as a catalyst for the growth of the world's largest and most successful biomedical research enterprise, with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as its centerpiece. She was a well-connected fundraiser and astute lobbyist who through charm and skillful use of the media persuaded congressmen and presidents to provide greatly increased funds for biomedical research. Driven by an unshakeable belief that the nation's wealth could be mobilized to unravel the mysteries of disease and find new cures, she developed a compelling political rationale for federal sponsorship of medical research, built a powerful lobby that won large appropriations for NIH, and pushed the agency into new scientific directions, at times in opposition to the scientific establishment.
As part of its Profiles in Science project, the National Library of Medicine® has collaborated with the Columbia University Libraries Rare Book & Manuscript Library to digitize and make available over the World Wide Web a selection of the Mary Lasker Papers for use by educators and researchers. This site provides access to the portions of the Mary Lasker Papers of the Columbia University Libraries Rare Book & Manuscript Library that have been selected for digitization. Individuals interested in conducting research in the Mary Lasker Papers are invited to contact the Columbia University Libraries Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
