Jane Cooke Wright brought the field of chemotherapy to the forefront of cancer treatment, publishing over 130 papers. Her research team focused on the investigation of a wide variety of anticancer drugs and developed procedures for the sequential use of these drugs in cancer treatment.

Born on November 20, 1919 in New York City, Jane Cooke Wright was one of two daughters of Louis Tompkins Wright and Corinne Cook Wright. Her father was a physician who practiced in New York City and later established the Cancer Research Foundation at Harlem Hospital. Jane lived in New York City until 1938 when she left to enroll in Smith College. She began college intending to major in art, but switched to pre-medicine. She graduated from Smith in 1942, one of only two graduates in that class later accepted to medical school.

Jane Cooke Wright was awarded a full scholarship to New York Medical School and received an M.D. degree upon graduating with honors, third in her class, in 1945. She interned at Bellevue Hospital, followed by two residencies at Harlem Hospital. At this point, she set up private practice since no medical institution offered her a position.

In 1949 Jane Wright joined the medical staff at the Cancer Research Foundation at Harlem Hospital as a clinician and research scientist and began her work in cancer research. After her father died in 1952, she became director of the foundation; in 1955 she moved to New York University Medical Center as director of cancer chemotherapy research and instructor of research surgery. In 1964, Jane Wright was appointed to President Lyndon Johnson’s Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer, and Stroke. Her subcommittee’s recommendation to develop regional centers was an important outcome of this commission. By 1967, Jane Wright was promoted to associate dean and professor of surgery at NYU Medical Center where she continued to be active in research until retiring in 1987.

Jane Cooke Wright has been awarded many honors: the Spirit of Achievement Award of the Women’s Division of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1965); the Hadassah Myrtle Wreath (1967); the Smith Medal from Smith College (1968); featured by Ciba Geigy on its Exceptional Black Scientist poster (1980); and honored by the American Association for Cancer Research (1975). In addition she has received honorary degrees and served on boards of trustees for various organizations.

Jane Wright married attorney David Dallas Jones, Jr., in 1945. They have two daughters, Jane and Allison. Now fully retired from research and medical practice, Jane Cooke Wright is still active in pursuing other interests, especially watercolor painting.

1. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/physicians/biography_336.html

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