Threads In our Fabric, Dr. Jane C. Wright "The Wright Stuff"

Jane Cooke
Wright (also known as
"Jane Jones") (November 20, 1919 – February 19, 2013) was a
pioneering cancer researcher and surgeon noted for her contributions
to chemotherapy. In particular, Wright is credited with
developing the technique of using human tissue culture rather than laboratory mice to test the
effects of potential drugs on cancer cells. She also pioneered the use of the
drug methotrexate to treat breast cancer and skin cancer (mycosis fungoids).

Wright's family had a strong
history of academic achievement in medicine. She was born in Manhattan, New
York, to Corinne Cooke, a public school teacher, and Louis T. Wright, who was one of the first African American
graduates from Harvard Medical
School. He was the first
African American doctor at a public hospital in New York City. 

As a child, Wright attended
the Ethical
Culture Fieldston School, then the
"Ethical Culture" school and the "Fieldston
School", from which she graduated in 1938. During her time at the
Fieldston School, Wright was very involved in extracurricular activities. She
served as the school's yearbook art editor and was named the captain of the
swim team. Her favorite subjects to study were math and science. After attending
the Fieldston School, Wright received a scholarship to Smith College, where she
furthered her studies and continued to be very involved in extracurricular activities.
She swam on the varsity swim team, discovered a passion for the German
language, and lived in the school's German house for a while. Wright
graduated with an art degree from Smith College in 1942.] After
her time at Smith, Wright received another scholarship, to attend the New York
Medical College. She graduated
as a part of an accelerated three-year program at the top of her class in 1945
with the honors award.

After medical school, Wright
completed residencies at Bellevue Hospital (1945–46) and later at Harlem Hospital (1947–48), where she became the chief
resident. In 1949 she joined her father in research at the Harlem Hospital
Cancer Research Center, which he had founded, and she ultimately succeeded
him as director when he died in 1952.

In 1949, Dr. Wright joined
her father at the Cancer Research Foundation at Harlem Hospital. During her
time at the research institute, she and her father sparked an interest in
chemotherapeutic agents. They were interested in making chemotherapy more accessible
for everyone. In the 1940s chemotherapy was a new development, so it was not a
well-known or well-practiced source for treatment because it was still in its
experimental stage of drug development. Chemotherapy was considered the “last
resort” and the drugs available and dosage was not very well defined. Both Jane
and her father wanted to make chemotherapy a more accessible method of cancer
treatment. They were the first groups to report the use of nitrogen mustard
agents and folic acid antagonists as cancer treatments.  Wright
retired in 1985 and was appointed emerita professor at New York Medical College
in 1987. In describing her pioneering research in chemotherapy, she told
reporter Fern Eckman, "There's lots of fun in exploring the unknown.
There's no greater thrill than in having an experiment turn out in such a way
that you make a positive contribution."

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