Polio rates in the U.S. increased from 1.3 per 100,000 in 1938 to 9.3 in 1943, with a total of more than 415,000 reported cases between 1937 and 1955. &nbsp;President Franklin Roosevelt himself was a survivor having had polio in 1921. &nbsp;He had annual Birthday Balls to raise money for research. &nbsp;Inspired by The March of Time newsreel, Eddie Cantor came up with the idea for the March of Dimes which he introduced on his radio show appealing for donations of 10 cents each. &nbsp;The White House was deluged with a total of 2,680,000 dimes during the first month. &nbsp;&nbsp;