Jane C. Wright Papers, 1920-2006
23 boxes (19.5 linear ft.)
Collection number: MS 177
Terms of Access and Use:
The papers are open to research according to the regulations of the Sophia Smith Collection.
This collection has not been fully processed and therefore may be difficult to use.
The Sophia Smith Collection owns copyright to the unpublished works by the creator of this collection. Copyright to materials created by others may be owned by those individuals or their heirs or assigns. Permission must be obtained to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use." It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Dr. Jane C. Wright, n.d.
Jane Cooke Wright was born 30 Nov 1919 in New York City, the daughter of Corinne Cooke and Louis Thompkins Wright, surgeon and cancer researcher. She attended the Ethical- Fieldston School in New York City, going on to Smith College from which she graduated in 1942. She then went on to New York Medical College, receiving her MD in 1945. She married David Jones, an attorney and affirmative action advocate, in 1947. Together they had two daughters, Jane and Alison. After completing her internship and residencies at Bellevue and Harlem Hospitals, she joined the Harlem Hospital Cancer Research Foundation, established by her father. She eventually succeeded him as director and continued her research at New York University-Bellevue Medical Center. In 1967 she was appointed Associate Dean of the New York Medical College, the first women in the US to hold such a position at a medical school, a position she held until 1975. She then held appointment there as a professor of surgery, 1975-87. A member of several professional organizations, Wright was a founder and the first secretary treasurer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 1964. She was the first woman elected president of the New York Cancer Society, 1971and she served on the President's Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer and Stroke, 1964-65, as well as the National Advisory Cancer Council, 1966-70. A trustee of Smith College (1970-80), Wright has been recognized by her alma mater: in 1968, she was a Smith Medalist and in 1981, she received the Otelia Cromwell Award. She has received numerous other awards including the Mademoiselle Award (1952) and the American Association for Cancer Research Award (1975).
Jane C. Wright died on February 19, 2013.
The Jane C. Wright Papers include correspondence, clippings and articles by and about Wright; photographs; posters; audio recordings; awards and memorabilia. Also included are her published professional writings in medical journals and texts.
NOTE: There is no container list online for this finding aid. You may contact the Sophia Smith Collection if you want one sent to you.
The papers are open to research according to the regulations of the Sophia Smith Collection.
This collection has not been fully processed and therefore may be difficult to use.
The Sophia Smith Collection owns copyright to the unpublished works by the creator of this collection. Copyright to materials created by others may be owned by those individuals or their heirs or assigns. Permission must be obtained to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use." It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:
Jane C. Wright Papers, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, Northampton, Mass.
Periodic additions to collection are expected and may not be reflected in this record.
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