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When we recount how St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital was born, we often tell the story of how our founder, Danny Thomas, walked into a Detroit church and asked St. Jude Thaddeus to show him his way in life. But really, the story of St. Jude begins much earlier, in the Lebanese mountain village of Becheri.
Why did Danny Thomas open St. Jude? More than 70 years ago, Danny Thomas was a young entertainer with a baby on the way. Work wasn't easy to come by, and his despair grew.
Danny started raising money for his vision of St. Jude in the early 1950s. By 1955, the local business leaders who had joined his cause began area fundraising efforts, supplementing Danny's benefit shows that brought scores of major entertainment stars to Memphis.
In 1962, with help from Dr. Lemuel Diggs and close friend Anthony Abraham, an auto magnate in Miami, Florida, Thomas founded the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Since its inception, St. Jude has treated children from all 50 states and around the world, continuing the mission of finding cures and saving children.
Feb 8, 2024 · The story of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital goes back over 60 years when entertainer Danny Thomas found himself nearly broke with a baby on the way. He gave his last $7 to a Detroit church with a prayer and a pledge. That promise led to countless children living healthy lives.
Historical developments. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital was founded by American entertainer Danny Thomas as a fulfillment of a prayer he made to the patron saint of hopeless causes, St. Jude, while visiting a Roman Catholic church in Detroit in 1940.
History. St. Jude was founded by entertainer Danny Thomas in 1962, with help from Lemuel Diggs and Thomas' close friend from Miami, automobile dealer Anthony Abraham. The hospital was founded on the premise that "no child should die in the dawn of life".
Perhaps the most nationally recognized devotee of Saint Jude during the last half of the 20th century was Danny Thomas. "Thomas began talking about his devotion to Saint Jude and how he believed the saint had helped lift him to prominence in his career.
Aug 6, 2021 · St. Jude got its start when the actor Danny Thomas vowed to build a shrine to St. Jude Thaddeus if his career ever took wings. Kind of a personal deal with God.
Dec 23, 2022 · Simply put, St. Jude has become “America’s hospital,” in the words of Tony Thomas, producer of numerous TV hits including “The Golden Girls” and the son of Danny Thomas.
