Roswell Park Cancer Institute

In the late 1890s, surgeon Dr. Roswell Park developed a powerful thesis: conquering cancer required a dedicated, multidisciplinary approach. He envisioned a place where scientists and clinicians would collaborate, a novel idea when research was often fragmented. In 1898, after persistent lobbying alongside Edward H. Butler, Sr. of the Buffalo Evening News, Park secured a $10,000 grant from the New York State Legislature. This initial funding established the world's first laboratory exclusively focused on cancer research, then called the Pathological Laboratory of the University of Buffalo. The institution's model—combining laboratory research, clinical study, and education—proved effective and became a template for cancer centers globally. A significant operational shift occurred in 1999, when the institute, which had been a division of the New York State Health Department, was restructured. It became the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corporation, a public benefit corporation owned by the state of New York. This change provided a different governance and operational framework while maintaining its public mission. The institute funds its work through various channels, including grants and donations administered through affiliated not-for-profits like the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation and Health Research, Inc. Throughout its history, Roswell Park has been the site of major breakthroughs, including the development of combination chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. Today, it remains the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York.