A University of, by, and for the People, by Sarah Vowell

February 15, 2018 3:13 PM

In 1937, Maurice Hilleman had a job lined up as the assistant manager of the J. C. Penney in Miles City. In Depression-era Montana, Penney’s was top-notch employment, especially to a senior at Custer County High who grew up raising chickens on the outskirts of town. But Hilleman’s older brother pointed out there was that college in Bozeman and suggested Maurice should at least try to get a scholarship. He did, finished first in his class and went on to a graduate program in microbiology at the University of Chicago. Of the 14 standard recommended vaccines — including those for measles, mumps, meningitis, pneumonia and both hepatitis A and B — Hilleman developed eight of them. In a century soaked in genocide, his work saved millions of lives, including, potentially, yours and mine. J. C. Penney’s loss was humanity’s gain.
posted by Stanczyk (14 comments total)

Thank you - Sarah Vowell is a treasure. Will watch this later afta tha 'lympics tonight.
posted by parki at 3:34 PM on February 15, 2018 [3 favorites]

Him and Norman Borlaug, the unsung heroes of the 20th century.
posted by Xoc at 3:37 PM on February 15, 2018 [6 favorites]

According to a Pew survey last year, 58 percent of conservatives believe universities have a negative impact on America, a crucial consideration in majority-Republican Montana.

I checked the link in the piece to see exactly what this "negative impact" was. I did not find that, but I did find that just a three years ago, a majority of Republicans thought colleges had a positive impact on America.

And that the attitude toward college education is not shared among all Republicans: 88% of Republicans and Republican-leaning people with at least a bachelor’s degree said that having a bachelor's degree personally benefited them in job-hunting, and 93% of Republicans with college degrees said their education was useful in helping them grow personally and intellectually.

In other words, good for me but not for thee.
posted by sobell at 4:35 PM on February 15, 2018 [7 favorites]

Public health, bitches!

I know, not the point, but still...
posted by Mental Wimp at 4:44 PM on February 15, 2018 [7 favorites]

Public health made possible by big pharma, bitches! Hilleman did most of his work at Merck.

OK, also not the point.

It's a gorgeous essay and I hope Montana keeps funding its higher ed.
posted by Sublimity at 5:13 PM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]

In other words, good for me but not for thee.

Isn't that a permanent plank in the Republican platform?
posted by Kirth Gerson at 5:58 PM on February 15, 2018 [10 favorites]

How long has the NYT been publishing Sarah Vowell? I finally felt guilty enough to kick my very bad habit of using the back door for free and began subscribing only two days ago, partly in celebration of my discovery that they are publishing Lindy West AND Roxanne Gay. Now it's SV, be still my heart, the times they are a changin'. Like all of Vowell's work, this is excellent.
posted by kemrocken at 6:18 PM on February 15, 2018 [2 favorites]

Sarah Vowell is the best.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 7:28 PM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]

....the unsung heroes of the 20th century...

& Clair C. Patterson, too.
posted by ovvl at 7:29 PM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]

My alma mater! I hadn't heard of Hilleman until I came here for grad school and saw the giant mural in Lewis Hall. The article also clued me into what's under that statue-looking shrouded thing that's been sitting on campus in recent weeks (a statue, to be unveiled for the 150th.)

It's a huge shame to be so close to losing the mill levy. But it doesn't surprise me. Not only is this a red state, it's a Ron Paul-loving red state that has a strong streak of mistrust toward the technocratic side of conservatism that is happy with state colleges so long as they produce useful engineers and other proper members of the economy. For that matter, I fear that even the technocrats are fond of moving toward student loans as a way to fund college, pressuring us into "productive" areas of study with the potential to pay them off, regardless of academic merit.

Well now I'm depressed. Let's talk about something positive instead: Montana Ag Live, a call-in show on PBS where experts from the university answer questions from major ranchers and backyard gardeners alike about anything agricultural. If there's a clearer example of MSU fulfilling its land-grant mission to serve the people of Montana I don't know it.
posted by traveler_ at 9:07 PM on February 15, 2018 [5 favorites]

I can't help but wonder what amazing things Penny's might have produced, beyond the blue denim shirt, had he stayed on.
posted by Brocktoon at 10:50 PM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]

Neat...I wonder if his work managed to cancel out the work of Thomas Midgley...
posted by sexyrobot at 11:15 PM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]

Thank you for the vaccines Maurice!

Circle, circle, dot, dot, dot ...
posted by nofundy at 6:30 AM on February 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

Public health made possible by big pharma, bitches! Hilleman did most of his work at Merck.

To continue the derail, yes, pharma does the actual development, but it's funded by the public through government grants. Also, government subsidizes purchase directly and through mandates. Vaccines are not profitable if the industry pays for development and if the consumer pays the full cost.

So not the point it's concave.
posted by Mental Wimp at 9:42 AM on February 16, 2018 [3 favorites]