The American Lung Association announced its collaboration with the Dr. Kathleen Jordan Project for a weeklong celebration in Granite Falls, Minnesota, from September 12-16, 2024. This event honors historical efforts to fight tuberculosis and addresses the ongoing need to educate the public about this disease. The American Lung Association will contribute by providing historical Christmas Seals and other items for display, presenting during the event, and sharing Dr. Jordan’s story.
In the early 1900s, tuberculosis was a major public health crisis, claiming millions of lives worldwide. On June 6, 1904, Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau founded the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, which later became the American Lung Association. The innovative work of Dr. Trudeau and the organization effectively curbed tuberculosis in America.
During these formative years, the American Lung Association launched the Christmas Seals campaign, a volunteer-driven fundraising effort to end tuberculosis. This campaign supported many dedicated physicians' work, including Dr. Kathleen Jordan.
Dr. Jordan graduated from medical school in 1929—a time when few women entered the profession—and dedicated her career to testing and treating tuberculosis across rural Minnesota. Her efforts were funded by the American Lung Association’s Christmas Seals campaign. Dr. Jordan met her husband, Dr. Lewis Jordan, at the Trudeau Sanatorium in New York, led by Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau. The couple later moved to Granite Falls, Minnesota, where Dr. Jordan conducted over two million Mantoux tuberculin skin tests during her 40-year career.
"We are thrilled to collaborate with the Dr. Kathleen Jordan Project to celebrate the incredible legacy of Dr. Jordan and the groundbreaking efforts to combat tuberculosis," said Jill Heins, Senior Director of Nationwide Health Systems Improvement and Indoor Air Quality for the American Lung Association.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that primarily attacks the lungs but can affect almost any part of the body. Without treatment, TB can be fatal but is curable with proper medication. Historically, TB claimed 1.8 million lives globally each year; advancements in prevention, testing, and treatment have significantly controlled TB in the U.S., although it persists globally.
For more information on this event or project details visit: DrKathleenJordanProject.org
