Simon Flexner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Simon Flexner
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| 1st Director of Rockefeller Institute | |
| In office 1901–1935 |
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| Succeeded by | Herbert Spencer Gasser |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 25, 1863 Louisville, Kentucky, US |
| Died | May 2, 1946 (aged 83) New York City, US |
| Education | University of Louisville |
| Awards | Cameron Prize of the University of Edinburgh (1911) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physician, medical educator, and experimental pathologist |
| Institutions | Johns Hopkins University Rockefeller Institute Oxford University |
| Doctoral students | John D. Rockefeller Jr. |
Simon Flexner (March 25, 1863 – May 2, 1946) was an important American doctor and scientist. He was a professor of experimental pathology, which is the study of diseases.
Flexner was the first director of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. This institute later became Rockefeller University. He also helped manage the Rockefeller Foundation. He was a friend and advisor to John D. Rockefeller Jr., who supported medical research.
Flexner is famous for his work on diseases like polio and meningitis. He helped create a special treatment for meningitis. A type of bacteria, Shigella flexneri, was named after him. He also described Flexner-Wintersteiner rosettes, which are important for understanding a type of eye cancer called retinoblastoma.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Simon Flexner was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1863. His parents were immigrants from Europe. He was one of nine children in a large family. Several of his brothers also became very successful. For example, his brother Abraham Flexner became a famous educator.
Simon first earned a degree from the Louisville College of Pharmacy. He worked with his brother Jacob, who was a pharmacist and doctor, for eight years.
Medical Career and Discoveries
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Flexner later went back to college and earned his medical degree in 1889. He then studied pathology at Johns Hopkins University Medical School. He started teaching there and became a professor at the University of Pennsylvania in 1899.
In 1901, Flexner was chosen to be the first director of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. He led this important research center until 1935. Through his work, he became close with John D. Rockefeller, who provided a lot of money for medical research.
In 1907, Flexner made a bold prediction. He said that doctors would one day be able to replace diseased human organs with healthy ones through surgery. He mentioned organs like arteries, stomachs, kidneys, and even hearts. These ideas became reality much later in the 20th century.
In 1911, Flexner received the Cameron Prize for Therapeutics from the University of Edinburgh for his medical achievements.
Family Life and Legacy
Simon Flexner married Helen Thomas, who became an English professor. They had a son named James Thomas Flexner. James became a well-known writer, famous for his books about George Washington.
Dr. Flexner passed away in May 1946 in New York City. He was 83 years old. His important papers and research notes are kept at the American Philosophical Society and the Becker Medical Library.
See also
- Abraham Flexner (1866–1959), American educator and Simon's brother
- James Thomas Flexner (1908–2003), American historian and Simon's son
Images for kids
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Learn more about Simon Flexner in Spanish!
