Background
Kendrick, Pearl L. was born on August 24, 1890 in Wheaton, Illinois, United States. Daughter of Milton H. and Ella (Shaver) Kendrick.
Kendrick, Pearl L. was born on August 24, 1890 in Wheaton, Illinois, United States. Daughter of Milton H. and Ella (Shaver) Kendrick.
Bachelor of Science, Syracuse University, 1914. Doctor of Science, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, 1932. Unmarried. Science teacher, high school principal, New York State Schools, 1914-1919.
Laboratory assistant division of laboratories and research State Department of Health, New York, 1919-1920.
Bacteriologist Bureau of Laboratories, Michigan Department of Health, 1929-1951. Associate director of laboratories, in charge Western Michigan Division 1926-1951.
Resident lecturer school of public health, University of Michigan from 1951.
Kendrick is known for co-developing the first vaccine for whooping cough. She also contributed to the promotion of international vaccine standards. In 1914, she received her Bachelor of Surgery from Syracuse.
After graduation, Kendrick was inspired to research whooping cough (pertussis) based on the statistical data of the time: the disease killed an average of 6,000 people in the United States, with the majority (95%) being children.
She moved back to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and worked at the Western Michigan Branch Laboratory of the Michigan Department of Health. lieutenant was there that she met Grace Eldering.
Eldering was located in Lansing and worked at the State Department of Health. Kendrick and Eldering headed the vaccine project through program development, testing, and the eventual inoculation of children with the pertussis vaccine.
The vaccine was a success.
Michigan started distributing the vaccines in 1940 and deaths from whooping cough declined. Their work contributed significantly to the development of cough plate diagnostics. The collaborative nature of their work within the bacteriological research community and their partnerships with the Grand Rapids public health community are recognized as an important contribution to vaccine research and public health.
When the pertussis vaccine was in the primary phase of development, the American-made vaccine was very effective, while the locally-made vaccine in England seemed to have no protection effect.
In 1951, Kendrick retired from the Michigan Department of Public Health. After retiring, she became a faculty member at the University of Michigan"s Department of Epidemiology.
She retired, from the University, in 1960. Kendrick served as president of the Michigan American Society for Microbiology.
She died on October 8, 1980, in Grand Rapids.
Kendrick was inducted into the Michigan Women"s Hall of Fame in 1983.
Member of the board of directors Council Social Agencies, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Fellow American Public Health Association (former vice president Member American Association for the Advancement of Science, Society of America Bacteriologists, Michigan Academy of Science, Sigma Xi, Delta Omega.