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Jane Cooke Wright (also known as "Jane Jones" or "Mrs. Jane Jones") (November 20, 1919 – February 19, 2013) was a pioneering cancer researcher and surgeon. Born in Manhattan, NY to Corinne Cooke Wright, a public school teacher, and Louis T. Wright, a surgeon, she was raised with her younger sister, Barbara Wright Pierce. Wright was most notable for her contributions to chemotherapy. In particular, Wright is credited with developing the technique of using human tissue culture rather than laboratory mice to test the effects of potential drugs on cancer cells. She also pioneered the use of the drug methotrexate to treat breast cancer and skin cancer (mycosis fungoides).

Legacy[edit]
Jane's family had a strong history of academic achievement in medicine. The first medical member of the Wright family was Dr. Ceah Ketcham Wright. Ceah was first born into slavery, and after the Civil War, Ceah earned his medical degree at Meharry Medical College. His child and Jane's father, Dr. Louis T. Wright, who she took her greatest inspiration from, was a graduate of Meharry Medical College and among the first black students to earn an M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and the first African American doctor at a public hospital in New York City. Louis was also the stepson of William Fletcher Penn, the first African-American graduate of Yale Medical College. Wright's uncle, Harold Dadford West, was also a physician and president of Meharry Medical College in 1952, the first African-American to hold the position. In becoming physicians, Jane Wright and her sister Barbara Wright Pierce both followed in their father's and grandfathers' footsteps, overcoming both gender and racial bias succeed in a largely white male profession. Janes daughter, Dr. Alison Jones PHD, would continue the legacy as she became a physician in clinical psychology.

Early Life and Education[edit]
As a child, Wright attended the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, then the "Ethical Culture" school and the "Fieldston School", from which she graduated in 1938.

Jane attended Smith College, originally wanting to pursue a degree in art, however her father suggested to change her studies to pre-medical studies. After her studies at Smith college, Jane earned a full scholarship to study medicine at New York Medical College. She graduated as a part of an accelerated three-year program at the top of her class in 1945 with the honors award. After graduating from medical school, Dr. Wright earned an internship at Bellevue Hospital during 1945 and 1946. In 1947, she married David D. Jones, Jr, an attorney In 1949, she completed her surgical residency at Harlem Hospital in 1948, where her father was.[citation needed]

She graduated with an art degree from Smith College in 1942 and then earned a medical degree, graduating with honors in 1945 from the New York Medical College.

Lastly, During his 30 years working at the Harlem Hospital, he founded and directed the Harlem Hospital Cancer Research Foundation.