Framingham’s TB Study 1916-1923: Paving the Way for the Framingham Heart Study (1948)

Framingham, 1916 -- “The world’s healthiest spot and hygienic Utopia”

The Whole World is Watching Framingham….

Health First for Framingham – all other good things will follow”*

One might think these attributes refer to the world renowned Framingham Heart Study, but that project didn’t come until 1948.  Framingham’s TB Study may be lesser known, but it too was groundbreaking as the first community based health study in the world that paved the way for the Framingham Heart Study.  It became a model for preventing tuberculosis cases and deaths and saving funds related to treating this disease.  It started with a $200,000 grant from Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in 1916 and brought public health nurses from NYC trained by social pioneer Lillian Wald into Framingham homes, schools, and businesses including Dennison Mfg. Co.  Why Framingham?  One reason cited was “genuine cooperation on the part of individuals and organizations both public and private in the town.” This was the cutting edge of urban health reform – it was an experiment that became a health example. 

The Framingham History Center has chosen to present this program on World TB Day and encourages anyone interested in learning more about this study and its continuing impact on public health, Framingham’s important role in its success and the ravages of TB or “the white plague” to attend this fascinating program.

Presenters: 

Dr. Alfred DeMaria, Jr., Medical Director and State Epidemiologist at the Massachusetts Bureau of Infectious Disease

Kathy Hursen - Framingham’s Public Health Nurse and coordinator of the TB clinic from 1989-1995