City of Hope and Affiliates History

The City of Hope was founded in 1913, with the intention of caring for the many citizens of the United States who were suffering from the widespread illness known as Tuberculosis. With the urgent need arising for a sanatorium to care for the ill, a Jewish missionary formed the Jewish Consumptive Relief Association, to establish and raise funds for the sanatorium. Since tuberculosis patients had to be separated from mainstream citizens to prevent more outbreaks, over 10 acres of land were purchased in the city that is now known as Duarte, California.

The sanatorium officially opened in 1914 and offered only two tents. The two tents were split between the caretakers and the ill. The sanatorium became known as the City of Hope because of the widespread services they offered to ill patients. The City of Hope remained a sanatorium until after World War II when tuberculosis vaccinations became available to patients in the United States. Over the next few decades the sanatorium grew until 1946 when Samuel Golter, the executive director of the sanatorium pushed it to become a full medical center.

Becoming a full medical center was in the best interest of the City of Hope at the time because tuberculosis was becoming less of an issue due to medical advancements. The City of Hope began to develop slowly into a permanent medical advancement center, with tents being replaced with structural buildings. In 1981, the City of Hope, now a full medical center was designated a cancer research center by the National Cancer Institute. Today the City of Hope and Affiliates have grown in size with two more locations in Los Angeles and Monrovia, California. In addition the foundation has fundraising locations scattered across the United States to raise funds to help patients. The foundation is still growing and shows no end in sight.

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