Academician Zhu Futang

2026-03-02 14:59:58 Browse times：

Zhu Futang (November 28, 1899 – April 23, 1994) was a distinguished pediatrician, medical educator, and one of the founders of modern pediatrics in China.

He was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. He graduated from Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) in 1927 and later obtained his MD from the Medical School of the State University of New York. He subsequently served as teaching assistant, lecturer, and professor in the Department of Pediatrics at PUMC. From 1931 to 1933, he pursued advanced training at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard University. Upon returning to China, he was appointed Director of the Department of Pediatrics at PUMC.

During the Pacific War, PUMC was forced to close. In 1942, Professor Zhu, together with Professors Wu Ruiping and Deng Jinxian, founded Beiping Private Children’s Hospital. In 1945, he concurrently served as Professor of Pediatrics at the School of Medicine, Peking University. Following the liberation of Beiping in 1949, he remained in the city in response to the call of the Communist Party of China. In 1952, he and the other two founders voluntarily transferred the hospital to government administration, and it was renamed Beijing Second Children’s Hospital.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, under the leadership of then mayors Peng Zhen and Liu Ren, Professor Zhu led the preparation for establishing the first large-scale children’s hospital in China. He served as the hospital’s first President until 1981, when he became Honorary President.

Academic Leadership and Public Service

Professor Zhu joined the Communist Party of China in 1956. He was elected Deputy to the First through Sixth National People’s Congress, Deputy to the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress, and served as a member of its Executive Committee.

From 1950 to 1981, he served as Director of the Chinese Society of Pediatrics and Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Journal of Pediatrics. In 1955, he was elected Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He also served as Vice Chairman of the National Committee of Child Protection and Director of the Institute of Pediatrics, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

Scientific Contributions

Professor Zhu is widely recognized as one of the founders of modern pediatrics in China. As early as the 1930s, during his studies in the United States, he conducted research on globulinum placentae for the prevention of measles in children. His work received international attention and was described by Time magazine as a “blessing for children.”

He also carried out in-depth research on the clinical treatment of vitamin C deficiency in children and published numerous academic papers on the subject.

In the 1960s, Professor Zhu led a multidisciplinary team from seven institutions nationwide to develop an attenuated live measles vaccine. The successful promotion and nationwide application of this vaccine significantly reduced measles prevalence and mortality in China and brought this major infectious disease under effective control.

Educational Legacy

In 1937, Professor Zhu resolved to compile a comprehensive pediatrics monograph in Chinese. Despite heavy clinical and teaching responsibilities, he collected extensive materials and studied foreign-language literature diligently. The first edition of Practical Pediatrics was published in 1943.

Over subsequent decades, he and his colleagues revised the work five times. The book, exceeding one million words, became a foundational reference in Chinese pediatrics and was highly regarded both domestically and internationally. In 1993, it received the First Prize of the National Outstanding Books Award.

Professor Zhu donated the royalties from the book to establish a prize recognizing organizations and individuals who have made significant contributions to Beijing Children’s Hospital.

Professional Ethics and Influence

Over more than 60 years as a pediatrician and educator, Professor Zhu consistently emphasized professional ethics, compassion, and dedication to patients. He made outstanding contributions to clinical service, medical education, research, and child healthcare.

He proposed the hospital motto: “Public-mindedness, Compassion, Diligence, Harmony.”

Throughout his life, he was known for his academic rigor, modest lifestyle, integrity, patriotism, and commitment to public service. He mentored generations of pediatricians, many of whom later became leading experts in China and abroad.

Honors and Recognition

Professor Zhu received numerous honors throughout his career, including:

　　·　 Wenhai Golden Key Award during his studies at PUMC

　　·　 Model Worker of Beijing (1953)

　　·　 Beijing Science and Technology Conference Award (1977)

　　·　 Model Worker at the National Science and Technology Conference (1978)

　　·　 National Model Worker for Children (1978)

　　·　 Camphor Award for Women and Children’s Well-being, China Welfare Institute (1990)

To encourage pediatric professionals nationwide to follow his example, the Ministry of Health of China and the Canada-China Children’s Health Foundation jointly established the annual Zhu Futang Award, recognizing outstanding clinical pediatricians, pediatric researchers, and child healthcare professionals in China.