Page 21 - St. Judes

the Southern Society for Pediatric Research about the association of
a virus with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. The following year, he,

Pinkel and another scientist published “Search for a Human
Leukemia Virus,” which chronicled their search for viruses in the
blood and bone marrow of 107 children with leukemia. “Studies are
in progress on a continuous leukemic bone marrow culture to
recover in recognizable form either replicating virus or viral

genome,” they wrote.

In 1970, Smith transferred into the Infectious Diseases department.
Most children who died at St. Jude were succumbing to infections
rather than cancer. In fact, the mortality rate from infectious
diseases had increased dramatically—from 57% in 1962 to 91% in

1969. In the battle against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, Smith
worked alongside Walter Hughes, MD, who would eventually be
hailed as the leading authority on the disease, its prevention and
treatment.

Beyond St. Jude

When Smith was not working in the lab or clinic, he served as an
instructor of microbiology at the University of Tennessee College of
Medicine. Pinkel recalled that the first time Smith lectured to the
medical students, Allan Granoff, MD, peeked in to see the reaction.

“John got up there, and they all looked with utter amazement in
their faces at this black professor that was going to give them this
lecture. Then as soon as John opened his mouth, they were down in
their notes, taking down everything he said….Typical medical

students!” he said.

Jerry Chipman, retired St. Jude vice president for public relations,
recalls Smith playing a major role in a Lillian Hellman production at
Theatre Memphis.

“To my knowledge, it was his only stage appearance,” Chipman said,
“and an out-of-character controversial role for John, who played the
paramour of a wealthy white New Orleans society matron. He was a
good guy, very quiet and soft-spoken; a real gentleman.”