In collaboration with Donald Pinkel’s daughter, Mary Pinkel, the Cancer History Project is preserving and republishing materials from his personal archive.
The documents include acceptance remarks, personal letters, editorials, photographs, video archives, and celebrations of his life’s work. The archive’s index, as well as a conversation between Pinkel and his daughter, appear below.
Pinkel served as CEO and director of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital from its founding in 1962 until 1973. He also played an important role in the critical years in leukemia research at Roswell Park Cancer Center.
“Donald Pinkel introduced the word ‘cure’ to cancer,” said James Downing, president and CEO of St. Jude. “It was his bravery and unflinching commitment to move forward that changed everything.”
Pinkel was the subject of an in-depth profile in Smithsonian Magazine in 2016.
Pinkel is the recipient of the Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research, the Charles F. Kettering Prize for Cancer Research, and the Pollin Prize for Pediatric Research.
In his own words
- Oral history: Donald Pinkel: A Cancer Pioneer Reflects on His Career
- Donald Pinkel’s June 1, 1986 Kettering Prize acceptance remarks
- Donald Pinkel’s June 6, 1986 Kettering Prize remarks: Curing Children of Leukemia
- St. Jude Director Cites Poor Housing’s Toll on Children, March 28, 1971
- Donald Pinkel: 2013-14 interview transcripts
Video
Archives
- Personal letters: mixed reviews of Donald Pinkel’s article on Childhood Lymphocytic Leukemia
- Photo archive
- The Cancer Letter: Pinkel, Sharp, Hausen Win GM Awards for ’86, June 13, 1986
- The Cancer Letter: Pinkel Corrects Report On ALL, April 21, 1978
Career milestones
- St. Jude: Former St. Jude CEO and Director Donald Pinkel, MD, revolutionized pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment
- St. Jude: St. Jude names research tower for Donald Pinkel, M.D., in honor of his legacy of finding cures for childhood cancers
- Roswell Park: Celebrating Dr. Donald Pinkel’s Remarkable Career
- The Buffalo History Museum: Cancer Crossings Panel
- Tim Wendel: Donald Pinkel excerpt from Cancer Crossings
Obituaries
- Roswell Park: Donald Pinkel Career Retrospective
- Roswell Park: Children First: Dr. Donald Pinkel and the Quest to Cure Childhood Leukemia
- St. Jude: St. Jude’s founding medical director Donald Pinkel set the scientific trajectory for curing childhood cancer
Donald Pinkel’s research highlights in childhood leukemia
- Aur RJ, Simone J, Hustu HO, Walters T, Borella L, Pratt C, Pinkel D. Central nervous system therapy and combination chemotherapy of childhood lymphocytic leukemia. Blood. 1971 Mar;37(3):272-81. PMID: 4322483.
- Pinkel D. Five-year follow-up of “total therapy” of childhood lymphocytic leukemia. JAMA. 1971 Apr 26;216(4):648-52. PMID: 5279904.
- Pinkel D, Simone J, Hustu HO, Aur RJ. Nine years’ experience with “total therapy” of childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia. Pediatrics. 1972 Aug;50(2):246-51. PMID: 4505343.
