Dr. Wright was the first African American woman to become an associate dean of a Medical Institution (1967) which was the highest ranking African American woman at a U.S. medical school at the time. She earned her medical degree in just three years from New York Medical College. After completing her residency, she worked at the Cancer Research Foundation at Harlem Hospital – leading the foundation from 1952-55. She joined New York University as an associate professor of surgical research and director of Cancer Chemotherapy Research at NYU Medical Center. Wright was appointed to the President’s Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer and Stroke in 1964. She became the first female president of the New York Cancer Society and was a founding member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The organization she helped found is now one of the largest in the world and helps thousands of citizens.
Dr. Jane Cook Wright, PhD
Surgeon and Cancer Researcher