Who were Drs. Pearl Kendrick and Grace Eldering?

[LA Dave]

And why are they important world public health figures?

See if you can answer without resort to Google.

[walker]

And why are they important world public health figures?

See if you can answer without resort to Google.

They are the reason whooping cough went from being a serious deadly disease to being one hardly thought about. They were the two ladies that in Grand Rapids developed the vaccine for whooping cough. Sadly whooping cough is starting to make a comeback partly at least because of the recent decrease of childhood immunization due to the anti-vaccine movement.

These ladies should have some buildings named after them or at the least they should be on Pete Secchia's famous persons statue list.

(All without Google.)

What made you think to ask?

[LA Dave]

Bravo!! And you are absolutely right, they should have buildings named after them. (How about that new MSU medical school, Pete? Well, Dr. Kendrick finished her career in Ann Arbor, so maybe not.)

Shows that GR was not exactly the conservative backwater that some people like to portray it as. And, lest we forget, GR was the guinea pig for public water flouridation. In SoCal, there are still idiots who think it's a Commie plot. The same idiots who are against vaccination, probably.

I wonder if Drs. Kendrick and Eldering could able work as easily in the GR of today. They used the school age children of the city as their sample group in the 1930s. Ironically, Eleanor Roosevelt, who met them and supported their work, wanted to experiment on orphans.

[RegalTDP]

I wonder if Drs. Kendrick and Eldering could able work as easily in the GR of today. They used the school age children of the city as their sample group in the 1930s. Ironically, Eleanor Roosevelt, who met them and supported their work, wanted to experiment on orphans.

I would think it would be way easier now. I'm sure the culture of the '30s was far less accepting of female doctors than it is today. Which makes their breakthrough all the more impressive.

Thanks, Dave, I learned something today! Always something new on Urban Planet...

[LA Dave]

The fact that these great medical heroes are not commemorated in their home town bothers me. I have nothing but respect for Rosa Parks, but her connection with GR is de minimis and the naming of the Rosa Parks Circle struck me as misplaced. Her great act of courage took place in Montgomery, Alabama and she lived out her later days in Detroit.

On the other hand, Dr. Robert Claytor and his wife, Helen Claytor, were pioneers in civil rights and community activities in Grand Rapids, with Dr. Claytor founding the Urban League and Helen Claytor being a national figure in the YWCA. There are others, I am sure, worthy of memorialization.

[Gorath]

I believe the next Peter Secchia funded statue is supposed to be of Helen Claytor.

[Allison Slater]

I have nothing but respect for Rosa Parks, but her connection with GR is de minimis and the naming of the Rosa Parks Circle struck me as misplaced.

Which is why I personally call it "the circle" or Dr. Emmet Bolden Circle amongst people who know my opinion on it.

[LA Dave]

I believe the next Peter Secchia funded statue is supposed to be of Helen Claytor.

I am not aware of this program. If Secchia is indeed funding a statue of Ms. Claytor (whose children attended Creston, my alma mater), I would be delighted. Good for him.

[Gorath]

I did some searching to try and confirm who the next statue is supposed to be and found this link which confirms what I thought.

http://www.mlive.com...o_sculpted.html

It lists that the next statues are to be;

Ottawa Indian Chief Nawquageezhig (Noonday), who helped open Michigan to settlement.

Helen Claytor, a local civil rights leader.

Stanley Ketchel, a city native and Hall of Fame boxer.

The Most Rev. Frederick Baraga, who funded a Grand Rapids church and school.

The list was provided by Ginny Seyferth. Hmm, ok, not so fast, this may not turn out right.

We know that the first statue was Lucius Lyon (installed Dec, 2009).  And the second statue was Chief Noonday (installed Aug, 2010).  So far so good.  So the next one should appear sometime soon based that schedule.  Not that there is any official time schedule.

But wait, it already came this year;

http://www.mlive.com..._jay_van_1.html

Jay Van Andel statue installed July 2011.

Still waiting for the Helen Claytor statue.  The YWCA is planning a renovation of their facilities at 25 Sheldon.  So maybe they are just holding off on the statue for the grand reopening or something like that.

[Gorath]

Edit: I'm lost as to how the formatting works on this forum now. And it won't even let me save changes to my editing attempt. Or even post without clinking the "More Reply options".

[grrwymg]

I'm seeing the same thing, Gorath.   It's not just you.