Arthritis and the March of Dimes

Expanded Program, February 1959. In 1958, the National Foundation unveiled its Expanded Program that added virus and rheumatic diseases, particularly arthritis, and birth defects as mission components. The success of the polio eradication program was so dramatic that the foundation sought to become a “flexible force” in combating America’s health problems. This giant coin collector of the New March of Dimes in New York’s Times Square with four locked doors representing four diseases symbolized the expanded mission at the time.

After the success of the Salk polio vaccine and the sharp decline in new polio cases in the late 1950s, the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP) decided, after much research and deliberation, to expand its health program to other areas. The NFIP launched its "Expanded Program" in 1958, which then included in its mission polio, birth defects, arthritis, and central nervous system diseases. At the same time, the foundation shortened its name to "The National Foundation" (NF) to indicate its intention to become a "flexible force" in the public health field in the U.S. NF President Basil O'Connor was personally committed to arthritis as part of this program, even though it was in direct competition with the Arthritis and Rheumatism Foundation of the time.

The NF hired Dr. William S. Clark as Director of Medical Care to oversee the arthritis component of our mission and began to establish arthritis evaluation and treatment centers in hospitals and clinics.

However, the foundation came to realize that the field of birth defects was extremely complex and vast, and it became more reasonable and economical to focus on birth defects and infant mortality as it expanded its research and educational initiatives in genetics and perinatal health.

Therefore, the NF divested itself of arthritis and transferred responsibility for the arthritis component of its mission to the Arthritis Foundation in 1964, with an agreement for funding for one year.

The March of Dimes Archives has many materials on arthritis including printed literature, memoranda, news releases, pamphlets on rheumatoid arthritis by William Clark, and materials on a family study conducted with the Arthritis Clinical Study Center of the University of California.

Source: March of Dimes Archives, Medical Program Records, Series 2: Arthritis.
November 11, 2008 / David Rose / March of Dimes Archives