Curious. Any connection to St. Jude's Medical Center, the hospital for kids with cancer for which Marlo Thomas raises money?
Danny Thomas founded it! I didn't even know that until just now -- I knew he'd been deeply involved in fundraising, and wanted to make that point. But I didn't know he actually started the place until I looked it up.
https://www.stjude.org/about-st-jude/history/how-we-began.htmlAs a young man, Danny Thomas had a simple goal: to entertain people and be successful enough at it to provide for his wife and family. But work wasn’t easy to come by.
As he and his family struggled, his despair grew. He wondered if he should give up on his dreams of acting or find a steady job. He turned to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes. “Show me my way in life,” he vowed to the saint one night in a Detroit church, “and I will build you a shrine.”
That prayer to St. Jude marked a pivotal moment in his life. Soon after, he began finding work, eventually becoming one of the biggest stars of radio, film and television in his day.
And as one of the world’s biggest celebrities, Danny used his fame to fulfill his vow to St. Jude Thaddeus and to change the lives of thousands of children and families. [Continues ...]
But no, there's no connection. I'm sure many employees over its 40 years wished they had named the company something different because people always ask that, or even assume it.
I'm not sure why a company that started out making pacemakers and other heart devices would have named itself after the patron saint of hopeless causes.
But obviously it worked for Danny Thomas.