UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY — How it all Began

Prior to the founding of UCP, there was as much misinformation and misunderstanding about Cerebral Palsy as there is today about AIDS.  Many people believed that Cerebral Palsy was inherited or caused by venereal disease and victims were scorned while families often kept afflicted members hidden from view.

Up until the late 1940’s, the condition was known as “Little’s Disease” - - named for the English physician who first identified the complex physical and mental disabilities caused by damage to the brain - - but it was usually confused with other neurological disorders.

In 1949, Isabelle W. Goldenson suggested to her husband, Leonard, who was then President /CEO of United Paramount Theatres, and subsequently became Chairman of the Board of American Broadcasting Companies, that they should start a national organization in order to eradicate myths, educate the public, and raise research money for this most complicated of all disabilities which came to be known as Cerebral Palsy.  Until then, groups of parents met with each other, but it had not occurred to them to organize on a national scale.  The Goldensons had a compelling interest in the subject because of their daughter, Genise, who was born with CP as a result of Mrs. Goldenson contracting German Measles early in her pregnancy - - and finding that very few doctors had any knowledge about diagnosis or treatment.  However, the Goldensons, financially able to take care of their daughter, didn’t want to formulate their appeal on a personal basis of public need.  Mr. Goldenson challenged his wife to obtain the seed money which she did by organizing an on-going group of supporters and planning a dinner and auction at the Larchmont Shore Club which raised $65,000.  Leonard Goldenson then raised an additional $35,000 from theatre owners, and the total $100,000 enabled them to open an office and hire a director.  At the time, the Goldensons met Jack and Ethel Hausman, who had previously organized a local group of parents in NYC and have dedicated their lives to the development of UCP nationally and locally.  Through the years, the Goldensons and Hausmans have worked very closely together in guiding the destiny of UCP.

The idea of obtaining national support came from Goldenson at a state meeting of handicapped at the Astor Hotel in New York where he made an impassioned appeal that dramatically spelled out the need.  The conferees voted overwhelmingly for it and United Cerebral Palsy was formed in 1950 with Leonard Goldenson as President.

Mr. Goldenson approached the Rockefeller Foundation, the Mellon Institute and Albert Lasker who had started both the Cancer and Heart Foundations.  The Goldensons held numerous meeting in their Westchester home and in NYC with advertising people who represented the motion picture industry.  The challenge was to find an effective way to “sell” a subject that was shrouded in ignorance, embarrassment, misinformation and was visually disturbing.  The consensus was to mount a campaign featuring youngsters with Cerebral Palsy, since children are more appealing, as well as to use the drawing power of celebrities.
                          
Goldenson obtained Bob Hope as the first campaign chairman and he was joined by co-chairpersons, Jack Benny, Bing Crosby and Kate Smith.  Next, Goldenson brought in Walter Winchell, Drew Pearson and a host of syndicated journalists to educate the public on the causes of Cerebral Palsy which for the newborn included German Measles with high fever up to the fourth month of pregnancy, whooping cough, regular measles, prematurity, lack of oxygen during birth (anoxia) and injuries during and after birth - - as well as strokes, automobile and other traumatic accidents affecting both children and adults.

In the fall of 1950, Goldenson organized a telethon using United Paramount Theatre’s television station, WBKB in Chicago, the Dumont station in New York and Paramount’s Los Angeles station along with radio stations in live other markets.  Price-Waterhouse devised a system where 90-95% of all pledges were collected, and even the Yellow Cab Company in New York sent volunteers to homes to collect ledges of $25 or more.  A total of one million and fifty thousand dollars was raised which was more than the amount generated by the March of Dimes in its first year under the aegis of then President Franklin Roosevelt.

At this time, the U.S. Government was spending $200 million dollars annually to study hoof and mouth disease but not a single dime was being spent on human disease research.  Mary Lasker came forward with the idea of the government funding research for humans.  While Mary Lasker approached the President, Senate and the House, Leonard Goldenson had his theatre people, located in 42 states, pressure Senators and Congressman.  With Anna Rosenberg (the first female Secretary of Labor) and Florence Mahoney, Mary Lasker and Goldenson helped establish the National Institute of Health, a division of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.  Subsequently, Leonard and Isabelle Goldenson each were appointed to and respectively served for four years on the top counsel of the N.I.H.

With Anna Rosenberg (the first female Secretary of Labor) and Florence Mahoney, Mary Lasker and Goldenson helped establish the National Institute of Health, a division of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.  Subsequently, Leonard and Isabelle Goldenson each were appointed to and respectively served for four years on the top counsel of the N.I.H.

During a meeting in 1953 with Harvard Medical School’s Dr. Sidney Farber, Isabelle Goldenson was so persuasive about the need for research into the prevention of Cerebral Palsy that Farber called a special meeting of the Board of the Harvard Medical Faculty to hear her plea.  Farber agreed to become chairman and brought in prominent faculty members of medical schools from across the national as well as members of the N.I.H. to form the United Cerebral Palsy Research and Educational Foundation in 1955.  Since those pioneering early days, United Cerebral Palsy has raised over $25 million dollars just for research via local telethons and national telethons (which commenced in 1977).  Through the telethons, and other important fundraising efforts, a total of over $800 million dollars has been raised to date.  The organization has funded research and educational grants as well as initiated the concept of the “marriage” of medicine and technology.  Many qualified medical school graduates who could not get government research grants due to their lack of experience were supported by UCP and ultimately received major grants to continue their studies.
                                                                
In 1973, Goldenson brought with him three scientists and three doctors to address John Brademas, now President, NYU, then Congressman from Indiana and chairman of the Appropriations Committee.  As a result of this meeting, funding was initiated ($30 million to the start) for orthopaedic equipment, and to make public buildings, transportation and parking spaces available to the handicapped throughout this country.

Among the medical breakthroughs that UCP has funded are:

• Development in 1959 of the German Measles vaccine by Drs. Ender and Weller at Harvard which is now immunizing every school child in our country.  To date, untold millions of children have been inoculated.
• Advances in the prevention of premature births.
• Treatment of newborn jaundice and respiratory problems.
• Advances in the prevention and control of cerebral hemorrhage in infants.

UCP supported an historical meeting, arranged by the Goldensons and hosted by Mrs. Goldenson, in 1978 at the California Ames Research Center.

Attended by NASA’s scientists and engineers, medical professionals, fourteen university deans and professors, as well as lay people, the purpose was to find practical applications of space and technology for the disabled.  Out of this unprecedented meeting came many important breakthroughs to apply the technology developed for the astronauts to people on earth in the event of brain failure or bodily limitations.  Just a few examples of the incredible possibilities include:

• Using the space suits in which men on the moon’s movements are controlled 250,000 miles away through identical movements by people wearing the same suits on earth - - which might be applicable in occupational therapy to help handicapped limbs move:
• Applying lightweight space materials to make wheelchairs more mobile:
• Treating kidney paralysis by implanting electrodes behind the organ and utilizing electricity to permit the kidney to function:
• Development of a multi-directional conveyance - - similar to the one used on the moon that climbed over rocks - - that will allow the disabled to surmount any obstacle including stairs.

Due to the success of the NASA/UCP meeting, Isabelle Goldenson persuaded Dr. Sidney Farber and Dr. Bill Berenberg (Head of UCP Research and Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard) to start the first exchange program between students of Harvard Medical School and M.I.T’s Graduate School to merge the theories of medicine and technology, and through this effort, it is commonplace today to find many other medical and science universities exchanging vital information.

After nearly 38 years, United Cerebral Palsy continues to lead the way in improving the quality of life for people with disabilities and in discovering new way s to prevent Cerebral Palsy as well as strokes.  UCP is one of the largest health foundations in the United States.  What began as an idea between Isabelle and Leonard Goldenson has grown into a worldwide network of interested, caring professionals and volunteers.  UCP’s accomplishments are fitting testimonial to the millions of people over the world who have worked for and supported United Cerebral Palsy, the most involved of all physical handicaps, with their dollars, their minds and their hearts.

The foremost medical authorities have stated that if sufficient funding could be generated, all the congenital causes of Cerebral Palsy could be eliminated by the year 2000!

Written by
Loreen Arbus  9.11.87