Emil J. Freireich was a prominent cancer scientist and researcher, considered by many to be the father of modern leukemia therapy. After earning his M.D. from the University of Illinois School of Medicine, he went on to study internal medicine at Presbyterian Hospital of Chicago and, later, hematology at Boston’s Mass Memorial Hospital. It was there that he met and ultimately married his wife, nurse Haroldine Cunningham. Emil was born in Chicago to Jewish, Hungarian immigrants, Mary and David... moreEmil J. Freireich was a prominent cancer scientist and researcher, considered by many to be the father of modern leukemia therapy. After earning his M.D. from the University of Illinois School of Medicine, he went on to study internal medicine at Presbyterian Hospital of Chicago and, later, hematology at Boston’s Mass Memorial Hospital. It was there that he met and ultimately married his wife, nurse Haroldine Cunningham. Emil was born in Chicago to Jewish, Hungarian immigrants, Mary and David Freireich, who raised their son during the Great Depression. Throughout his life, he was recognized with many prestigious awards for his contributions to cancer treatments. In 2014, he was made a Fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research. Tragically, at the age of 93, Freireich’s life was claimed by COVID-19.
