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Polio Hall of Fame

The Polio Hall of Fame, also called the Polio Wall of Fame, is a linear grouping of sculptured busts of fifteen scientists and two laymen. Together, they honor people who made important contributions to the knowledge and treatment of poliomyelitis. The sculpture is installed on the outside wall of Founder’s Hall at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation in Warm Springs, Georgia, US. The site is closely linked to Franklin D. Roosevelt, who spent time at Warm Springs from 1924 and later founded the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation in 1927, helping establish the rehabilitation center that developed there.

Four bronze busts from the Polio Hall of Fame mounted on a light stone wall, with part of a fifth bust visible.
Bronze busts from the Polio Hall of Fame mounted on a light stone wall.
August 2001 © Henry Lytton Cobbold · Public domain
Bronze bust of Joseph L. Melnick with a green patina, shown in close-up against a pale wall.
Close-up of the bronze bust of Joseph L. Melnick in the Polio Hall of Fame.
August 2001 © Henry Lytton Cobbold · Public domain
Polio Hall of Fame sculpture of Karl Landsteiner with a weathered bronze head and shoulders, showing a handlebar mustache and deep-set eyes.
The Polio Hall of Fame sculpture of Karl Landsteiner in close-up sunlight.
August 2001 © Henry Lytton Cobbold · Public domain
Weathered green-patina bust in the Polio Hall of Fame showing a man’s head and shoulders against a plain background.
A weathered bust in the Polio Hall of Fame depicts a man with short hair and a serious expression.
August 2001 © Henry Lytton Cobbold · Public domain
Black-and-white close-up of a sculpted head and shoulders from the Polio Hall of Fame, showing a man in a suit and tie.
A close-up view of a Polio Hall of Fame sculpture depicting John R. Paul.
January 1958 © UnknownUnknown photographer · Public domain

Identification

TitlePolio Hall of Fame
Alternative namePolio Wall of Fame
TypeLinear grouping of sculptured bronze busts
Number of busts17
SubjectPeople who made important contributions to the knowledge, treatment, or research of poliomyelitis

Iconography and meaning

CommemoratesPeople who made important contributions to the knowledge and treatment of poliomyelitis

Materials

MaterialBronze

Physical characteristics

Backing surfaceWhite marble wall
ArrangementIrregular linear pattern
Busts depicted15 of the 17 busts are of 14 men and 1 woman; the first 15 positions are occupied by these figures
Composition orderThe order of the busts after the first four is not strictly chronological
Rightmost figuresFranklin D. Roosevelt and Basil O'Connor

Creator

DesignerEdmond Romulus Amateis

Discovery and provenance

Purpose of commissionTo create the Hall of Fame for the 20th anniversary of the incorporation of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis
Commissioned byGeorgia Warm Springs Foundation

Location and ownership

LocationOutside the wall of Founders' Hall, Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, Warm Springs, Georgia, United States
Related locationFounders' Hall

Historical context

Inauguration date2 January 1958
Inauguration eventCeremonially unveiled in the presence of the sculptor and almost all of the people still living at the time
Attendees at inaugurationEleanor Roosevelt, Albert Sabin, Jonas Salk, Basil O'Connor, the sculptor, and almost all of the figures then still living
Occasion for inauguration20th anniversary of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis
Related historical contextFranklin D. Roosevelt stayed regularly at Warm Springs from 1924 and died there in 1945; his paralysis was long considered spinal polio, though newer research suggests Guillain-Barré syndrome
Associated institutionGeorgia Warm Springs Foundation, founded by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1927
Institution typeComprehensive rehabilitation facility operated by the state of Georgia
Institution functionPost-polio treatment and rehabilitation for people with disabilities
Services providedVocational rehabilitation, long-term acute care, and inpatient rehabilitation for amputees and people recovering from spinal cord injuries, brain damage, and stroke
Related peopleJakob Heine, Medin, Wickman, Landsteiner

Other

Related publicationDetailed coverage of the unveiling ceremony, including photographs of the sculptor and participants, appears in Edward A. Beeman's biography of Charles Armstrong