St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - History

History

St. Jude was founded by entertainer Danny Thomas, with help from Dr. Lemuel Diggs and close friend, Miami Florida auto magnate Anthony Abraham., on the premise that "no child should die in the dawn of life". This idea resulted from a promise that Danny Thomas had made to a saint years before the hospital was founded. Thomas was a comedian, who was struggling to get a break in his career and living paycheck to paycheck. When his first child was about to be born, he attended a mass in Detroit and put his last $7 in the offering bin after being incredibly moved by the service. He prayed to St. Jude Thaddeus for a means to provide for his family, and about a week later, he obtained a gig that paid 10 times what he had put in the offering bin. After that time, Thomas believed in the power of prayer. He promised St. Jude Thaddeus that if he made him successful, he would one day build him a shrine. Years later, Danny Thomas became an extremely successful comedian and built St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as a shrine to St. Jude Thaddeus to honor his promise. In 1957, Thomas founded the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC), which helped him realize his dream. ALSAC is also the fundraising organization of St. Jude. Since St. Jude opened its doors in 1962, ALSAC has had the responsibility of raising the necessary funds to keep the hospital open. Memphis was chosen at the suggestion of Roman Catholic Cardinal Samuel Stritch, a Tennessee native who had been a spiritual advisor to Thomas since he presided at Thomas's confirmation in Thomas's boyhood home of Toledo, Ohio.

Although it was named after Thomas's patron saint, St. Jude is not a Catholic hospital and not affiliated with any religious organization.

In late 2007, the Chili's Care Center opened on the St. Jude campus. Chili's restaurant chain has pledged to provide $50 million to fund the construction of the center. The seven-story Chili's Care Center will house 340,000 square feet (32,000 m2) and will add 24 labs and 16 beds to the campus. It will house the department of radiological services, The Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, two floors of outpatient clinics, one floor of inpatient clinics and rooms, two floors of laboratory space, an office floor and an unfinished level for future expansion.

In June 2008, Sterling Jewelers Inc. and St. Jude officially opened the new Kay Kafe, featuring a spacious lounge area, a significantly larger dining area and a variety of new dining options. More than ever, the cafeteria is the focal point of the campus where families and staff can escape and relax away from the treatment areas. The grand opening ceremony featured Marlo Thomas, national outreach director for St. Jude; Tony Thomas, member of the ALSAC/St. Jude Boards of Directors and Governors; Terry Burman, chairman of Sterling; Mark Light, CEO and president of Sterling; John P. Moses, CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising organization for St. Jude; Dr. William E. Evans, CEO of St. Jude; Joyce Aboussie, chair of the ALSAC Board of Directors, and Robert Breit, chair of the St. Jude Board of Governors.