Selection of Tuskegee University as a cell culture factory site

One may ask: what were the probable circumstances that led to the selection of Tuskegee University as the site for a HeLa Project? Since the NFIP desired that the HeLa cell project would conform to established cell culture protocols, its powers-to-be felt that such standards could be best achieved on university campuses, where the personnel would be knowledgeable and experienced in research. Because of the outstanding research conducted by Drs. Brown and Henderson in cell biology, Tuskegee University fit the criteria set by the NFIP. It probably did not hurt Tuskegee’s chances of landing a HeLa Project site that Dr. H.M. Weaver, Director of Research for the NFIP, was well acquainted with the ongoing work taking place in Tuskegee’s Carver Research Foundation. In addition, for many years, Mr. Basil O’Connor, Founder and Chief Administrator of the NFIP, was Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Tuskegee University. O’Connor’s regular presence on Tuskegee’s campus acquainted him personally with the school’s exceptional faculty and research facilities.^4,5 Still others believe that Mr. Charles Bynum, the Director of “Negro Activities” at the NFIP was the main reason that Tuskegee was selected as a HeLa Project site. It is believed that Bynum, the first Black foundation executive in the United States, preferred Tuskegee because it would provide much-needed funding for jobs and training of Carver Research Foundation fellows and scientists, as well as funding of other research being conducted.⁴ Needless to say that all of these factors contributed in part to O’Connor’s selection of, and confidence in Tuskegee to do an exceptional job on the HeLa Project. CLICK HERE FOR MORE