野口英世は昭和3年（1928年）5月21日西アフリカの黄金海岸（現在のガーナ共和国）において、自らが研究していた黄熱に斃れました。同年6月29日、東京丸の内の日本工業倶楽部において行われた追悼会の終了後、追悼会に出席した関係者が“後世に科学者野口英世の業績と生涯を伝える”ために記念会を創ることを決定したことが、公益財団法人野口英世記念会の起源です。発起人として、北里柴三郎（当時日本医師会会長）、山川健次郎（元東京帝国大学総長、会津出身）、荒木寅三郎（当時京都帝国大学総長）、後藤新平（元外務・内務・逓信大臣、元東京市長、福島県須賀川医学校出身）など錚々たる人物の名前が記されています。
野口英世記念会は、野口英世の遺徳を偲ぶため、昭和14年（1939年）野口英世記念館を開館し、ロックフェラー医学研究所とメリー未亡人から寄贈された野口英世の遺品を広く一般に公開することとしました。平成25年、公益財団法人として再出発しましたが、記念会創設以来の “後世に科学者野口英世の業績と生涯を伝える”という設立の目的が変わることはありません。現在は、野口英世生誕の地福島県猪苗代町に本部を置き、野口英世記念館の運営、野口英世生家（平成31年に国の登録有形文化財に登録）の維持保存・公開、野口英世記念医学賞（昭和32年創設）の授与、野口英世記念奨学金（昭和34年開始）の貸与・給付、野口英世博士顕彰記念少年科学賞（平成7年創設）の授与を柱として、地域と連携した多くの活動を行っています。
平成27年には、小学校の児童にも野口英世について楽しく学んでもらうべく記念館展示のリニューアルを行いました。また、平成25年からは、新たに福島県を中心に東北、北陸等の小学校への出張授業（出前授業）を行っており、野口英世の人生・業績をより深く知ってもらう取り組みの一環としています。野口英世の生涯から我々が学ぶこと、そして次代を担う若者、児童に我々が伝えるべきことは、社会の変遷とともに少しずつ変化していくと考えます。しかし、野口英世が猪苗代の地から世界に飛躍し活躍した歴史、そこに到る不屈の努力はどの時代にも、どの年代の人々にも通じるものがあるはずです。野口英世記念会は多くの先達が築き上げた実績を基盤として、これからも社会に貢献する存在であるべく前進を続けます。今後とも、皆様のご支援ご鞭撻をお願いいたします。
令和3年7月1日
It is my great pleasure to deliver a welcome message from the Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Foundation. Japan.
Dr. Hideyo Noguchi was a world-renowned physician-scientist who established outstanding scientific career in the field of infectious disease/microbiology at the Rockefeller Institute, New York, U.S.A. in early 1900s. Back then, microbiology meant bacteriology, and species of pathogenic bacteria were identified as causative agents of human infectious diseases. Virus had not been established as a category of pathologic agents. He challenged infectious diseases of epidemiological importance in the world, including syphilis, Oroya fever/verucca peruana, polio, rabies, trachoma, Weil’s disease and yellow fever. He devoted himself to microbiological research and was nominated as a candidate of Nobel Prize 3 times.
The most fascinating aspect of Hideyo Noguchi is his continuous, unimaginable levels of effort, and tenacious hard work that had led a boy from a rural area of Japan to an internationally recognized scientist. He was born to a very poor family in today’s Inawashiro town in 1876, and suffered a severe burn in the left hand at the age of one. He got medical doctor’s license at the age of 21, by passing the extremely difficult exams, and then moved to USA at the age of 24 in 1900. He died of yellow fever, a disease he was targeting then, at the age of 50 in Acra, Gold Coast (Ghana today), Africa. His biographies have been published by many authors in Japanese and English languages, and attracts great interest, wonder, praise, and sometimes criticism.
The Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Foundation was established in 1929, after his death, with a mission that it maintains and introduces Hideyo Noguchi’s achievements to the people in next generations. The foundation achieves multiple activities to fulfill the mission; It (i) runs the Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Museum that exhibits his relics provided by the Rockefeller Institute and his wife, Mary Loretta Dardis, (ii) maintains and exhibits his born-house, (iii) runs The Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Medical Awards, (iv) runs scholarships for high school students, (v) runs The Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Science Awards for primary and junior-high school students, and (vi) delivers visiting lectures in primary schools.
The museum is located in Inawashiro town, Fukushima prefecture, in the northern Japan. In addition to the exhibitions of the museum, you could enjoy scenic views of lake Inawashiro, Mt. Bandai and hot springs in any of the 4 seasons. You could also enjoy, cultures, histories and excellent foods matured during the past 500 years in this region.
I, as the executive director, believe that Hideyo Noguchi’s life always impresses you at any age groups, and from any cultural backgrounds. The legendary story keeps shining today, nearly 100 years after his death, as one of the most fascinating. You will be mesmerized by his tired-less, energetic life. I look forward to your visits; you will get an unforgettable experience. The Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Foundation and Museum always welcome you.
Ichiro Kurane, M.D., Ph.D.
Executive Director,
The Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Foundation, Japan