Author: Samantha Bonawitz
Jonas Salk’s development of the polio vaccine in 1954 went on to impact people around the world, from Buenos Aires to Los Angeles to New Delhi, and I’ve worked with the awards to prove it. When Salk’s collection was acquired by the University of Pittsburgh, not only did they receive lab equipment, but they also acquired awards, scientific publications, and personal mementos. As one of the first people to help process the acquisition, I had the opportunity to identify and discover objects throughout the collection. Working specifically with the awards, I helped facilitate the transition of certificates and plaques between the School of Public Health and the University Library System. I visited the Thomas Blvd Archives & Special Collections and worked on spreadsheets in order to determine which objects would need to be replicated for display.
The School of Public Health’s aim when acquiring this collection was ultimately to create a physical place to recognize and remember Jonas Salk’s legacy. The work done to facilitate this endeavor stretched across numerous departments, many of which I collaborated with while working on the creation of The Jonas Salk Legacy display. The School of Public Health, the Museum Studies Department, the University Library System, University Communications, and Facilities Management came together to build the exhibit from the ground up.
It was a unique experience working with my mentor Alex Taylor and fellow interns as some of the first people to get our hands on the collection since its accession. We worked hard to locate and identify a variety of lab equipment using the collection’s inventory. In our search, we came across many objects, from glassware to samples on microscope slides. Along with a fellow intern, I undertook the job of cleaning the large centrifuges and other lab equipment. In order to prepare the machinery to be transported by Facilities Management we carefully vacuumed and brushed off the equipment. It was another invaluable experience that allowed me to gain hands-on experience working with the collection.
Once I began working with the lab equipment, I decided to dig deeper into the history of the polio vaccine’s creation. As I learned more, I was struck by how the community played such a large part in the development of the vaccine. Salk worked with his lab to develop the vaccine, which was then distributed by volunteers to school children in the Pittsburgh area. Connection and collaboration have always surrounded this vaccine – in its creation and in the display of its legacy 68 years later. As the School of Public Health recognizes the impact of Salk’s vaccine and the protection it provides to communities around the globe, it highlights the fundamental message of Salk’s legacy - to collectively strive to protect the health of all.
Samantha Bonawitz, Museum Studies Intern at the Jonas Salk Collection, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Spring 2023