The Parker B. Francis Fellowship Program

Francis Family Foundation funding enables breakthrough solutions in pulmonary medicine leading to the development of enhanced treatments and cures for pulmonary diseases.

A Family Heritage

Parker B. Francis announced his interest in the “breathing business” by launching the Kansas City Oxygen Gas Company in 1913. As the company continued to prosper and grow, it became the Puritan Compressed Gas Corporation in 1931. After V. Ray Bennett constructed the first Bennett Resuscitator unit for a hospital in Los Angeles, Parker B. Francis merged his company with Bennett’s to create the Puritan Bennett Corporation, signifying the importance of this product within the industry. In 1951, he established a foundation bearing his name. Since Puritan-Bennett was a leading manufacturer of respiratory equipment and medical gases, the primary emphasis of the Foundation was related to pulmonary research. The success of Puritan-Bennett in the following years allowed for substantial increases in Foundation resources. The Parker B. Francis Fellowship program, a national postdoctoral study in pulmonary research, was inaugurated in 1975 and Fellowships were awarded in fields related to pulmonary disease and anesthesiology.

A History of the Fellowship Program

In collaboration with local historian William S. Worley, the Francis Family Foundation published a book about the history of the Parker B. Francis Fellowship program in 2006. The books contains, among other things, a look back at the origins of the Puritan Bennett Corporation, as well as highlighting numerous Fellows, whose pursuit of excellence in research has made the Fellowship program second only to the National Institute of Health in the funding of pulmonary research. All formers Mentors, Fellows and Scientific Council members were sent a copy of the book. A limited number of books remain. If you are interested in obtaining a copy, please contact Shari Hockenbery at shari@francisfoundation.org.

A Family Legacy

Today, the Parker B. Francis Fellowship program continues to support outstanding investigators planning careers in pulmonary research and awards Fellowships in fields related to lung biology and pulmonary disease. Under the direction of Dr. Joseph D. Brain at the Harvard Public School of Health, Fellowship grants are made for three years and enable a deserving investigator to devote the majority of his or her professional effort to lung-related research.

“The Francis Family Foundation has contributed more than $40 million to the Fellowship program in support of more than 650 Fellows. These talented Fellows have produced volumes of works about lung biology and pulmonary research. More importantly, these Fellows represent an entire cadre of physician/scientists found throughout Canada, the United States and Mexico, who are making a significant difference in the fight against lung disease.”

Dr. Joseph D. Brain, Director
Parker B. Francis Fellowship
Harvard University

Meet one of the Fellows

As a newly appointed Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alabama – Birmingham, Chad Steele is convinced that he would not be where he is today without the Parker B. Francis Fellowship.  The prestigious award provided not only salary support and recognition at a critical time in his career, but it also gave him a huge boost of confidence.  “Being given the award,” Steele said, “empowers you, it makes you want to do the best that you can.” Read more... >>

 

For more information, visit the Fellowship program’s website. >>