Ebola and Yesteryear: the Fight Against Disease and the Lessons we Once Knew.

Recently, my husband and I were comparing the fight against the diseases of the 50's with the current struggle against Ebola facing this country and, indeed, the world. It is he who remembered the post I had written last year about the U.S. fight to conquer Polio.   We were then reading the Wall St. Journal and the article The Last Epidemic.  (Oct-18-19, 2014).

                                                             That inspired this post.

 I am offering again an earlier post in my blog: A Tauntonian and the Fight Against Polio which I published last September.  It gives us a comparison between then and now.

We can all draw our own conclusions.  There is no question that once we were united in so many ways, and the lines were not drawn in the sand.  They could not be, the futures of our children
were at stake.

I highly recommend the article in the WSJ.   Let's put it this way. the first two sentences are "In the winter of 1947, an American tourist arrived in New York City on a bus from Mexico, feeling feverish and stiff.  He checked into a hotel and did some sightseeing before his condition worsened...He went to a local hospital....he died a few days later of smallpox." People immediately volunteered to be vaccinated. There was no panic, the article goes on.  The public had a high regard for the public health apparatus that had served them so well.

Americans lined up for smallpox vaccine in 1947

In the fight against Polio, Americans channeled their fears into a common purpose, as they did in 1947 with the Smallpox scare. Let's revisit my earlier post and once again find inspiration.


                                    A TAUNTONIAN AND THE FIGHT AGAINST POLIO
                                                    Published in this blog, Sept. 13, 2013

When I wrote the last post discussing the polio epidemic, I had no idea I would learn what the connection was between Taunton and the successful battle to fight that disease.  This is when this blog is at its best, when someone comes forward with information that just bursts at the seams to complete what has been started here.

This post was inspired by Arlene Gouveia who knew of the story of Tauntonian, Basil O'Connor and shared it with me to share with you.  It received research help from Aaron Cushman from The Reference Department at the Taunton Public Library. It is a real collaborative effort.   This information came to me from Arlene after the first post on Village Healthy was posted.  It is fascinating Taunton history ..who knew?  Not me!

Who knew that a product of the Taunton School System way back in the early 1900's was a man who was pivotal in winning the war against polio?  His name:  Basil O'Connor.

                                                          oil portrait of Basil O'Connor
                                                         archival: Taunton Public Library
                                                   

Born in Taunton in January, 1892 to parents Daniel Basil and Elizabeth Ann (O'Gorham) O'Connor who lived on Highland St. in Taunton,  Basil's himself said that " he was a generation away from servitude."  As a youngster, he was a Taunton Gazette newsboy and later an odd job painter who also worked weekends at the Colby Clothing Store in downtown Taunton where he earned $6.25 a week.

The story of this boy born and raised in Taunton and educated in Taunton Schools (he was a 1908 graduate of Taunton High School, business manager of the Taunton High Journal) is a true example of the American Dream.  By the time he passed away at age 80 he had been decorated by 19 foreign governments,  He earned numerous honorary law degrees and high awards.  When asked by someone why he did not go into politics, he replied:"Polio makes no political distinctions nor do flood fire and famine.  Why should I? " (newspaper report: 1954).  He was a sponsor and member of the General Assembly of World Brotherhood and in 1959 became a member of the United States Committee for the United Nations. He served as Chairman of the American Red Cross and chairman of the Board of trustees at the Tuskagee Institute.

To get back to our story.  Basil O'Connor went to Dartmouth College and Harvard after Taunton High and became a lawyer going to practice in New York City.  There he met another young lawyer : Franklin Delanor Roosevelt.  Do you see where this is going?  After FDR contracted polio, he made his friend Basil, second in command of the Georgia Warm Springs Rehabilitation Center where FDR rehabilitated and then put him in charge of the biggest medical fund raising in the country's history:  The March of Dimes. An interesting side note is that there is a possibility FDR had Guillian-Barre Syndrome vs Polio. G.B. is a viral complication which can have serious complications. Who knows,  it still served to mobilize a nation led by FDR and our Tauntonian,  Basil O'Connor.

The March of Dimes was the largest fundraiser for a disease in U.S. history at that time.  Radio messages urged people to send their dime to the White House to fight polio. Then the mothers of America each evening canvased neighborhoods across the nation, fighting for their children and the war against Polio. The March of Times revolutionized fundraising in America: raising $1,800, 000 the first campaign.  In 1954, they collected $66.9 million more.

                                                     Basil and FDR in 1844 (Wikopedia)
                                                     Notice the pile of dimes on the desk.

The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis  went on with Basil O'Connor as chair.
As time went on Mr. O'Connor was pivotal in noticing Dr. Jonas Salk and invited
him to work with the foundation. The rest is history. 

 In spite of the serious setback of a bad batch of the vaccine in California resulting in some deaths, Basil and his scientists continued on to succeed in vaccinating the children
of this great nation and eventually eradicating Polio here.

                                                 Basil O'Connor still at work with  JFK
                                                     Archival: Taunton Public Library
                                         

Basil O'Connor had a sister, Mary, who taught in the Taunton School system for 52 years keeping the family roots in Taunton at 159 Highland St. firmly planted. meeting  Basil O'Connor died on in March 1972, at the age of 80 while getting ready for a meeting of the Foundation's
Scientific Committee meeting the next day.

           With the help of You Tube here is an interview by Basil O'Connor himself.

              Step back in history, this was obviously recorded early in the Polio campaign for a cure.

I unfortunately do not have a date, but would hazard early 1950's.

   

Postscript:  the article quoted earlier in the post in the Wall St Journal ends on this note:

  "What seems most apparent at this early point is the yawning chasm between public health officials and the public at large....   Next week marks the 100th birthday of Jonas Salk.   Shortly after his vaccine was declared successful, he gave a nationally televised interview with Edward R. Morrow.  'Who owns the patent on this vaccine,' Morrow asked, 'Well, the people I would say,'Salk replied.  'There is no patent.  Could you patent the sun?'

"For Dr. Salk, the whole endeavor was a gift from science to humanity, nurtured by the goodness of the American people.  We must find ways to keep that spirit alive - winning back for modern medicine and public health the full confidence of the world most generous nation."
                                                                  ........

              For me, this gives the term, "Ah, the good old days" a whole new meaning.    

                                       
                                                               Sources

                                                         The Last Epidemic:
                         http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/print/WSJ_-C001-20141018.pdf


                                 The Smallpox Scare of 1947. Photo from that site.

http://www.citylimits.org/blog/blog/6058/long-before-today-s-ebola-scare-city-fended-off-smallpox#.VEVYYr5SR5g

                                                       ..........................................
                                                  My Post from September 13, 2013

FINDING OUR MARBLES ONCE AGAIN

       

 The last few articles needed much research.  I decided that now something in a lighter vein was in order.  In truth, I have long had this post in the back of my blogging mind.  The reason being that  a vivid memory was shining out among my childhood recollections.  Just a  tiny little memory yet  clear and sharp and somehow comforting.  You know how those memories can be?

Here is how it goes.  A few of us young Fuller School classmates are outside in the schoolyard at recess.  Specifically, we are on the right side of the dirt playground not far from the side and front picket fences.  Huddling together under one of those precious elms that hugged the side fence,

we each have a cloth bag of marbles.

We are on our knees.  It's good that packed dirt is beneath us, 

much kinder to little girl's knees since we wore dresses or skirts. Our knees were 

always at risk and often tattooed with scars and healing scrapes. 

 Anyway, you could not play marbles on concrete.

                                                               Pinterest- bing.com



There are three or four of us around the " bunny" hole we have dug out of the ground, thumbs and fingers ready to launch our chosen marble. Little girls with pigtails or curls hanging over our shoulders, we are in intense concentration.  Elbows ensconced in the dirt...liftoff!!

Pinterest: piccsy, com

I vaguely remember the marble terminology for each kind of marble

such as the cats eye, the aggie, the tiger, and swirly...

 Wikopedia tells us that there are many more names, and many rules.   I do not recall those.

I just remember the feel of the marbles in my fingers and my hand.

The beauty of each one. The joy when I was able to gain another in a game.

Today try to find old marbles.  There are collectors out there.  Real old marbles are expensive,

but hold so much memory of peace, of gentle gaming and the fact that no one

seemed to get ticked off after a game of marbles....  No one left mid-game in a huff.

Pinterest:integrelleaders

Just a simple little game.  You were quiet, there were no spectators or reporters.  You did not need anything electronic.  Your little drawstring bag of marbles fit nicely into a pocket.

 The game of marbles- gender and class neutral.  Non-violent.  I never saw a fight over marbles. Rich or poor could play equally.  It was race neutral.  The game could be slow or it could be fast.  Ah, the days of innocence. Marbles did involve strategy and concentration.  It involved friendly interaction, there was anticipation and time for laughter.

Then there was the sheer feel of the marble itself.  No corners.  Marbles were marvelous with  their cool roundness snuggling into your hand. This post reminded me that when I did tai chi we had a session on "meridian balls" (sometimes called boading balls).  These go all the way back to the Ming Dynasty starting in the 1300's.  Small marble-like spheres (or larger if indicated) were rolled in the hand and fingers.  The practice is still used today.  They exercise not just the fingers and hand, but the forearms and shoulders, too .  The very simple exercises invigorate and increase blood circulation, unblock energy areas, keep the brain in good health,  reinvigorates memory, relieves fatigue, drowns your worries and may prolong your life.

                                                   Not bad for a sweet little sphere!

This 1937 Life magazine cover demonstrates the concentration
of playing marbles.  This boy obviously is not worrying about other things.

Pinterest- sodahead.com

....

More Marble factoids

Marbles have a history all of their own as we read above.  Time magazine (quoted in Wikopedia) goes way back to the 1500's. The were found  in early Egyptian and Roman excavations.

Marbles as we know them were first manufactured in Germany in the early 1800's.

Ceramic marbles were first mass produced in the 1870's.  In Germany someone invented glass scissors and glass marbles were sold everywhere. Recently, a marble set owned by Anne Frank has been discovered, giving the history of marbles a poignant aspect.

Today there are only two companies who manufacture marbles in the U.S., one in Ohio and another in W. Virginia.

Below a game of marbles at a South Carolina cotton mill in 1903.
Pinterest:boys-of-the-past.tumblr.com

A thought about marbles:

Sometimes I think this present world has lost its marbles.

 It needs a quiet time to crouch down in the dirt and

pay attention to listening to the wonders and goodness around it.

It needs to gaze into

the swirling depths of a marble. It needs  to concentrate on strategy and trajectory

with another human being, both of you crouched down into the same size, neither of you

thinking of differences but of commonality.

Then we might all find our marbles...

Pinterest: imaginechildhood.com

...................


More about oriental healing balls...
http://www.natashascafe.com/html/popups/chinese_balls_pop.html


.......
Note: I have been derelict in not attributing Pinterest photos.
They are now being attached as they should have been.
If you are into nostalgia and history and have not found Pinterest online,
you havea wonderful surprise coming...  The attached sites
are websites from which the Pinterestphotos originally derived.

Did you know about the The Coimbra Club?

A common goal of  the Portuguese who settled in Taunton and throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, was to keep their heritage alive. In the last post we that celebrating Festa was one way to do that.  

Today we see a resurgence of the Festa and indeed a revival.

Back in the late 50's, and even before, there was another  example  of maintaining and increasing Portuguese cultural identity.  For a certain group of Portuguese Americans the Coimbra Club of Massachusetts and Rhode Island did just that.  I acknowledge the great help of Carolyn de Sousa who was treasurer of Coimbra from 1971-1973. Carolyn supplied me
 with personal anecdotes as well as written history of the organization.

The Coimbra Club was named for Coimbra University in Portugal.   Coimbra University in Lisbon  has an illustrious history.  Considered a cultural icon, it was founded in 1290,  now the oldest continuously operating university in the world.  Interestingly, Coimbra is a public University.

The founding members of the Coimbra Club in Southeastern New England, among whom many Tauntonians were numbered,  decided that their organization would be educational in nature. It would study the Portuguese culture in depth which would define their membership criteria . They would delve into historical ancient Portuguese philosophy, writings and art.

The eliteness of the Club in no way diminished the wisdom and gracefulness of others of Portuguese descent in the area.  Although they required two years of formal post-high school education for membership,  their Board was authorized to use equivalency discretion.  One had to be of Portuguese heritage for membership, of course and had to be sponsored by two members.  

Membership was voted on by the Board. 

Like the round table dinners hosted by Father Louro at St Anthony's in the early to mid 1900's members of the Coimbra Club met to forge relationships among those with similar backgrounds.

 ( See The Art of Gracious Living, May 8, 2014  post on the Blog for more on Father Louro's dinners).

                                                      

The Coimbra Club was an extension of the Portuguese classes at Ivy League Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.  Specifically, it was an outgrowth of the University Extension Division taught by Belmira E. Tavares.  Several times a year the class would get together for dinner. Finally, at Sunderland's in Tiverton in 1957, they decided to formalize their gatherings. The name Coimbra was chosen since many members, including Ms. Tavares, attended  Coimbra.  The first President of the Coimbra Club, Dr. Correia-Branco, had graduated from there.

Belmira E. Tavares was from Fall River, MA.  She was first a school teacher, then a school principal and  created her classes at Brown University.  She was the author of Portuguese Pioneers in the U.S. published in 1974.  It is still being used today for historians and genealogists.  The book focused on 7 parishes in the Fall River area and their families.

                               The original organizers of the Coimbra Club were:

Atty. Aristides Andrade : I knew Attorney (Aris) Andrade, he was a neighbor of ours on School St.  

         He passed away too young at the age of 54 years in 1964. Married to the indomitable Emma    Andrade, he  was the City Solicitor at the time. 

        Atty. Andrade is pictured here at a Fuller School function with Principal Sophia Dupont, 

another member of the Coimbra Club.  This puts a Village touch to the Club.

Other organizers: Dr. Rose Borges, Miss Mildred Braga, Dr. Joseph C. Carvalho, Miss Alice Clemente, Dr. Raymond R. Costa, Miss May Escobar, Mr. and Mrs. Williston Hobert, Mr. John Lima, Mr. and Mrs. Fernandes Lopes, Miss Pauling Luis, Miss Estelle Machado, Miss Laura Nobrega, Miss Mary Oliveira, Mr. Louis Rocha, Miss Cecilia M. Rose, Mr. William R. Silva, Mrs. Helen Sylvia, Dr. Othilia Veira, Dr. and Mrs. Gilbert Vincent, Miss Mary Viveiros and Joseph Fernandes.

The last name in this roster, Joseph Fernandes, deserves special attention.  Born in Madeira, he lived many years in Norton, MA and is one of the luminaries of the Taunton/Norton area who highlighted the achievements of Portuguese Americans. Joseph Fernandes was a name I often heard growing up. We were so proud of this outstanding man.

Mr. Joseph Fernandes graduated from Boston University in 1947, later earning an Honorary Doctorate from Stonehill College in N. Easton, MA. He distinguished himself as a Navy Lieutenant in World War II and was awarded the ETO-Battle Stars Presidential Unit Citation.  He exemplified the quintessential Portuguese American immigrant whose talents flourished in the U.S.  

          Active in his successful business, he was at the same time deeply involved in the Portuguese American experience.  Proud of his heritage, he :

         * was President of the Portuguese Times and the Portuguese Cable Channels

which served 65 communities ,

        *received the Peter Francisco Award  in 1966 (do you know who Peter was?  

Find out in an upcoming post). \

                         *received the Order of Prince Henry Society's Man of the Year in 1995,

Joseph Fernandes  1923- 2007

Active on the International level he was appointed by President John F. Kennedy as Special Consultant for the State Department's Alliance for Progress at Puente Del Este, Uruguay.

Joseph Fernandes was awarded the Bicentennial Salute to Leadership Award by Secretary of the Treasury William Simon in 1976, The Leadership Award by President Ford and the Prime Minister's Award Medal from the State of Israel.

He was one of the original founders of the Coimbra Club, founded the Portuguese American Foundation, was chair of the Portuguese Cultural Foundation, chaired the Portuguese Cultural Foundation, was honorary President of the Portuguese Cultural Union, and President of the Association for Development of the Catholic University of Portugal.

Scholar, entrepreneur, statesmen, Portuguese American and gentleman extraordinaire. A 

wonderful example of the membership of the extraordinary Coimbra Club.

Another distinguished member of the Club was Ret. Lt. Col. Rudolph (Rudy) de Silva, once Mayor of Taunton and a former POW in the Korean War.  Rudy spent 23 years in the Army and his service also included the Vietnam War.  He was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor,

 the Army Commendation Metal and the Purple Heart. 

  

There are many other distinguished members of the Coimbra Club. I just am not aware of them...will you share if you do? The Village was well represented.  We have mentioned  Atty. Andrade and Sophia Dupont.  Also, friend and  Fuller School classmate high school teacher, 

Cecilia Mendes Rodier must be included in the list.

Coimbra Club Insignia

The Club met four times a year, members often attending with their spouses (who did not have to be of Portuguese descent).   They met at venues all over Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  They sometimes met at the Fernandes Compound in Norton, MA .Their programs included Fado artists from Portugal, for example.

School teachers and principals as well as a superintendent, lawyers, business men and more gathered to augment their Portuguese heritage. Don't you wish  that you could peek back in the past at gatherings such as this and listen and learn and be astonished? Researching this topic, as well as so many others, I am struck once more of the impact Portuguese Americans had on so many fronts.

Not only from the Village where I grew up, but as part of the Greater Taunton experience. A small Village, a small City, a plethora of strong people nourished by their cultures, excellent teachers and school system, and by their faiths.

As its members aged, the Coimbra Club membership diminished 

and finally the organization disbanded. 

**************************

  A Note 

Writing this blog is such an honor for me.  Uncovering the accomplishments of those I write about, which are so often hidden. Writing about those who went beyond their known horizons to reach distant goals is a joy.

         

Gratitude is due to those who have fed this blog, growing it with their willingness to share our heritage.  Contributors such as Carolyn de Sousa with this blog post and others.  Of course, our incredible Village and Taunton historian Arlene Rose Gouveia takes prime place.

  What would I do without you?