William McDowell Hammon (July 4, 1904 – September 19, 1989) was an American physician and researcher, best known for his work on poliomyelitis.[3][4] In his early twenties and prior to becoming a research physician, Hammon worked for four years as a medical missionary in the former Belgian Congo. After returning, he received his undergraduate degree from Allegheny College in 1932.[2] Completing his medical training at Harvard Medical School in 1936,[2] Hammon then studied with the bacteriologist Hans Zinsser, receiving a Master of Public Health degree in 1938, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1939.[4] During this period Hammon co-discovered the first vaccine for feline panleucopenia.[5]

William McDowell Hammon
Born(1904-07-04)July 4, 1904[1]
DiedSeptember 19, 1989(1989-09-19) (aged 85)
NationalityUnited States American
Alma materAllegheny College
Harvard Medical School
Known forPolio vaccine pioneer,[2] Tropical diseases
Scientific career
FieldsPhysician, virologist, and epidemiologist
InstitutionsUniversity of California, Berkeley
University of Pittsburgh
Doctoral advisorHans Zinsser

Hammon was presented with the Medal of Freedom in 1946 by President Harry Truman.[6] In 1949 Harmon was elected president of the American Society for Microbiology.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Cattell, Jaques, ed. (1949). American Men of Science: A Biographical Dictionary. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: The Science Press. p. 1016.
  2. ^ a b c Fowler G (September 23, 1989). "Dr. William Hammon Dies at 85; A Pioneer in Fight Against Polio". New York Times.
  3. ^ "Unsung Hero of the War on Polio" (PDF). University of Pittsburgh Public Health Magazine. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 11, 2006.
  4. ^ a b Rinaldo CR (2005). "Passive Immunization Against Poliomyelitis: The Hammon Gamma Globulin Field Trials, 1951–1953". American Journal of Public Health. 95 (5): 790–9. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2004.040790. PMC 1449257. PMID 15855454.
  5. ^ Enders JF, Hammon WM (1940). "Active and passive immunization against the virus of malignant pan leucopenia of cats". Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 48: 194–200. doi:10.3181/00379727-43-11141. S2CID 73135183.
  6. ^ HiBeam Research

Further reading edit