Hilary Koprowski
A tenacious virologist who personally drank his own experimental concoction to prove the first live polio vaccine was safe.
1916–2013 (age 97)·Polish virologist and immuologist·Birthday: December 5·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Hilary Koprowski was a scientist of formidable energy and courage, stepping into the global race to conquer polio. In 1950, before large-scale trials were standard, he developed an oral vaccine using a live, attenuated virus and tested it on himself and his own family. This bold move demonstrated its safety and paved the way for wider use. His vaccine was used in massive campaigns in the Congo and elsewhere, though it was eventually superseded by Albert Sabin's version. Koprowski's career was a long, prolific march against viruses; he later did pioneering work on monoclonal antibodies and rabies treatment. A man of wide interests—a classical pianist and art collector—he embodied the Renaissance spirit in modern medical research, though his polio work sometimes sparked controversy.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Hilary was born in 1916, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Hilary Was Born
The biggest hits of 1916
#1 Movie
Intolerance
Hilary's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1916Born
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Started school
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1929Became a teenager
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1932Could drive
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1934Could vote
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1937Turned 21
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1946Turned 30
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1956Turned 40
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 50
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 60
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 70
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 80
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2013Died at 97
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Developed and administered the world's first effective live, attenuated oral polio vaccine in 1950.
- Organized and oversaw the vaccination of over 250,000 people in the Belgian Congo in the late 1950s.
- Authored or co-authored more than 875 scientific papers across virology and immunology.
- Served as director of The Wistar Institute for over three decades, transforming it into a leading biomedical research center.
- Made significant contributions to rabies research, developing a successful post-exposure treatment.
Did You Know?
He was a trained concert pianist and studied at the Warsaw Conservatory.
The first person to receive his oral polio vaccine was a 20-year-old institutionalized boy in New York.
He engaged in a long-running, sometimes acrimonious, priority dispute with Albert Sabin over the oral polio vaccine.
He held professorships in both microbiology and neurology at the University of Pennsylvania.
“The vaccine was safe; I gave it to my own son to prove it.”
