Live television programs

Dr. Thomas M. Rivers discussing the Salk poliomyelitis vaccine with Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Hart Edgar Van Riper. The photograph was taken on April 12, 1955, during the live telecast informing the American public that the field trial to test the inactivated polio vaccine was successful. The telecast was filmed at Rackham Hall at the University of Michigan. Eli Lilly & Co. funded the hour and a half long broadcast, narrated by Bob Emerick. It was watched by an estimated 54,000 doctors in special screenings in movie theaters and heard by millions of people around the world on the radio.

Dr. Jonas Salk, developer of the poliomyelitis vaccine, received his MD from New York University College of Medicine in 1939.

Mr. Paul Klemtner mentions key contributors during the opening of the live telecast on the development of the poliomyelitis vaccine. The photograph was taken on April 12, 1955, during the live telecast informing the American public that the field trial to test the inactivated polio vaccine was successful. The telecast was filmed at Rackham Hall at the University of Michigan. Eli Lilly & Co. funded the hour and a half long broadcast, narrated by Bob Emerick. It was watched by an estimated 54,000 doctors in special screenings in movie theaters and heard by millions of people around the world on the radio.

Dr. Jonas Salk (not pictured), developer of the poliomyelitis vaccine, received his MD from New York University College of Medicine in 1939.

The television studio crew tends to a baby klieg light that exploded above Dr. Thomas Francis, Jr. four minutes before the live telecast on the development of the poliomyelitis vaccine. The photograph was taken on April 12, 1955, during the live telecast informing the American public that the field trial to test the inactivated polio vaccine was successful. The telecast was filmed at Rackham Hall at the University of Michigan. Eli Lilly & Co. funded the hour and a half long broadcast, narrated by Bob Emerick. It was watched by an estimated 54,000 doctors in special screenings in movie theaters and heard by millions of people around the world on the radio.

Dr. Jonas Salk (not pictured), developer of the poliomyelitis vaccine, received his MD from New York University College of Medicine in 1939.

Left to right: Herb Fleet, V.P. of Medical Communications, Inc. and Account Executive for Eli Lilly's & Co.; Wes Kenney, the Director of the telecast (DuMont); Al Molinaro, Promotion and Production Director for Medical Communications; his son; Bob Emerick, Narrator; Morris Mayers, Director of Closed Circuit Division of DuMont; Ed Rasp, TV Program Director for Medical Communications; Eric Herud, Chief Facilities Engineer for DuMont; Steve Olshewski, V.P. of Paul Klemtner and Co. and Executive V.P. of Medical Communications, and Paul Klemtner. Gift of Mrs. Emerick.

Doctors and others pleasantly discuss the telecast of the poliomyelitis vaccine, after the show. Gift of Mrs. Emerick.

Photograph of Dr. Bazilauskas (of Medical Communications, Inc.; first name not available) together with Michigan personnel, preparing charts and other visual aid materials for the televised report of the Dr. Salk and Dr. Rivers poliomyelitis vaccine. Gift of Mr.s Emerick.

A lot of favorable chit chat between Paul Klemtner and others. Gift of Mrs. Emerick.

Dr. Jonas Salk giving the essentials of the evaluation report at the telecast of the poliomyelitis vaccine.

Dr. David Bodian (polio researcher at Johns Hopkins) presents factors which lead to the development of poliomyelitis vaccine at the telecast Gift of Mrs. Emerick

Dr. Thomas M. Rivers and Dr. David Bodian watch a monitor of the poliomyelitis vaccine telecast.