Roswell Park history

The 1901 Pan American Exposition, for which Doctor Park served as Medical Director; and

In 1904, Park stepped down and Harvey R. Gaylord took over as the center's second director.

1955 - The Institute creates the Roswell Park Graduate Division of the University of Buffalo, which today offers M.S. and Ph.D. programs in cancer sciences to prepare students for research careers.

1956 - Doctor Donald Pinkel establishes the Department of Pediatrics and initiates a pediatric cancer research program.

1958 - Roswell Park, the National Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo publish the results of the nation’s first multi-center oncology clinical trial, overseen by James Holland, MD, Roswell Park’s Chief of Medicine.

In 1961 he will become the first medical director of St Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

1964 - Led by James Grace, Jr., MD, Roswell Park researchers grow leukemia cells in the laboratory for the first time — a breakthrough that makes it possible to study chromosome abnormalities, the way cancer cells grow and change, and how chemotherapy drugs affect the cells.

In 1989, Katherine Gioia, then four years old, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

In 1990, they compiled a list of 55 friends and business people they hoped would be interested in an organization to raise funds and public awareness of Roswell Park.

In 1991, the Alliance Foundation was established.

Since the inaugural Ride in 1996, the event has grown from offering three routes to nine, introduced an international experience throughout Canada, added a pre-ride rally with the Celebration of Hope and increased its fundraising total year after year!

In 2017, the sculpture’s surrounding greenspace was dedicated as Pathways Park in recognition all those who make the Ride possible, as well as the Ride’s Founder, Mitch Flynn.