Dr. Thomas Francis, Professor of Epidemiology in 
the University School of Public 
Health, and Chairman of that De
partment, since 1941, is also Di
rector of the Influenza Commis
sion, Board for the Investigation
 and Control of Influenza and other
 Epidemic Diseases in the Army, 
Preventive Medicine Service, Sur
geon General's Office, United
 States Army. Further, in addition
 to his work at the University, he
 is national lecturer in respiratory 
diseases for wartime graduate
 medical meetings and also is lecturer at the Army Medical School 
in Washington. His primary 
"hobby" is research, and only last 
summer Dr. Francis made a study, 
 along with other men, of an epi
demic of poliomyelitis in the
 southeastern United States. He is 
also serving as a consultant to the
 Secretary of War.

Born at Gas 
City, Indiana, July 15, 1900, 
 Francis attended Allegheny Col
lege, Pennsylvania, and received a 
B.S. degree in 1921. He received 
the honorary degree of Doctor of
 Science in 1941 from the same in
stitution. Yale Medical School
 granted him an M.D. in 1925, and 
in 1941 he was awarded the Mas
ter of Science (honorary).

After 
interning in medicine at New 
Haven Hospital, Dr. Francis be
came an Instructor at Yale Medi
cal School in 1927. A year later, 
 and until 1936, he was with the
 
Hospital of Rockefeller Institute. 
He was an Assistant in Medicine
 and Assistant Resident Physician 
from 1928 to 1930; Chief Resi
dent Physician for the next three
 years; and an Associate in Medi
cine from 1931 to 1936. Then
 until 1938, Dr. Francis was a
 member of the Staff of Interna
tional Health Division, Rockefel
ler Foundation, where he was in 
charge of influenza research.

He 
next became associated with New
 York University College of Medi
cine as Professor of Bacteriology 
and Director of Bacteriological 
Laboratories, from 1938 to 1941. 
 During this period, he was also
 Assistant Visiting Physician at
 Willard Parker Hospital, New 
York City, for a year; Associate
 Visiting Physician; and Visiting 
Physician at the same hospital. In 
addition, he was Visiting Physi
cian at Bellevue Hospital, Third 
(New York University) Medical 
Division, during this period.

Dr.
 Francis has prepared innumerable 
articles and bulletins for publica
tion, and belongs to many profes
sional organizations, including As
sociation of American Physicians; 
 (Secretary); Society of American
 Bacteriologists; Society for Clini
cal Investigation; the American
 Medical Association; American Public Health Association, New
 York Academy of Medicine; Har
vey Society; and many more.