President Franklin Roosevelt Dedicates the Opening of the National Institutes of Health in October 1940
On October 31, 1940. President Roosevelt, standing on the portico in front of Building 1, speaks about the role of government in promoting and stimulating research into cancer and other diseases, and the work of the Public Health Service and the National Cancer Institute. Speaking in the context of the war in Europe, President Roosevelt emphasizes that the “total defense” of a nation relies not just on military might, but also on a strong and healthy population.
The transcript of the speech can be found here.
The story of how the Tree Tops country estate owned by Luke and Helene Wilson became the site of the first NIH buildings is told here.