Surgeon General of the United States
Encyclopedia
The Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health
in the federal government
. The Surgeon General's office and staff are known as the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG).
and confirmed via majority vote by the Senate
. The Surgeon General serves a four-year term of office and, depending on whether the current Assistant Secretary for Health
is a PHSCC commissioned officer or not, is the senior or second-highest ranking uniformed officer of the PHSCC, holding the grade of a three-star vice admiral
while in office. The current Surgeon General is Regina Benjamin
, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 29, 2009. She was unofficially sworn in to begin work on November 3, 2009, and was officially sworn in January 11, 2010.
The Surgeon General reports to the Assistant Secretary for Health
(ASH), who may be a four-star admiral
in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC), and who serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of Health and Human Services
on public health and scientific
issues. The Surgeon General is the overall head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, a 6,000-member Commissioned Corps of the USPHS, a cadre of health professionals
who are on call 24 hours a day, and can be dispatched by the Secretary of HHS or the Assistant Secretary for Health in the event of a public health emergency
.
The Surgeon General is also the ultimate award authority for several public health awards and decorations, the highest of which that can be directly awarded is the Surgeon General's Medallion (the highest award bestowed by board action is the Distinguished Service Medal
). The Surgeon General also has many informal duties, such as educating the American public about health
issues and advocating healthy lifestyle choices.
The office also periodically issues health warnings. Perhaps the best known example of this is the Surgeon General's Warning labels that can be found on all packages of American cigarette
s. A similar health warning appears on alcoholic beverages
.
In 1798, Congress established the Marine Hospital Service
—predecessor to today’s United States Public Health Service
—to provide health care to sick and injured merchant seamen. In 1870, the Marine Hospital Service was reorganized as a national hospital system with centralized administration under a medical officer, the Supervising Surgeon, who was later given the title of Surgeon General.
The U.S. Public Health Service was under the direction of the Office of the Surgeon General and was an independent government agency
until 1953 at which point it was integrated into the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
, and later into the United States Department of Health and Human Services
. Although the U.S. Public Health Service and the Surgeon General were at various times under the umbrella of the Department of the Treasury
or the Federal Security Agency
, the agency operated with a substantial amount of independence.
Some Surgeons General have been noted for being outspoken and advocating controversial proposals on how to reform the U.S. health system
. The office is not a particularly powerful one, and has little direct impact on policy-making, but Surgeons General are often vocal advocates of unconventional or unpopular health policies.
The U.S. Army, Navy
, and Air Force
also have officers overseeing medical matters in their respective services who hold the title Surgeon General.
The insignia of the Surgeon General, and the USPHS, use the caduceus
. See Caduceus as a symbol of medicine
.
, one of the seven uniformed services of the United States
, and by law holds the rank of vice admiral
. Officers of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps are classified as non-combatants, but can be subjected to the Uniform Code of Military Justice
(UCMJ) and the Geneva Conventions
when designated by the Commander-in-Chief
as a military
force or if they are detailed or assigned to work with the armed forces
. Officer members of these services wear uniform
s that are similar to those worn by the U.S. Navy, except that the commissioning devices, buttons, and insignia are unique. Officers in Public Health Service wear unique devices which are similar to U.S. Navy Staff Corps Officers (e.g., Navy Medical Service Corps, Supply Corps, etc.).
The only Surgeon General to hold the rank of a four-star admiral
was David Satcher
. This was because he served simultaneously in the positions of Surgeon General (three-star) and Assistant Secretary for Health (which is a four-star office).
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
in the federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
. The Surgeon General's office and staff are known as the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG).
Selection and current office-holder
The Surgeon General is nominated by the U.S. PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and confirmed via majority vote by the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. The Surgeon General serves a four-year term of office and, depending on whether the current Assistant Secretary for Health
United States Assistant Secretary for Health
The United States Assistant Secretary for Health serves as the Secretary of Health and Human Services's primary advisor on matters involving the nation's public health and, if serving as an active member in the regular corps, is the highest ranking uniformed officer in the Public Health Service...
is a PHSCC commissioned officer or not, is the senior or second-highest ranking uniformed officer of the PHSCC, holding the grade of a three-star vice admiral
Vice admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of...
while in office. The current Surgeon General is Regina Benjamin
Regina Benjamin
Vice Admiral Regina Marcia Benjamin, USPHS is an American physician who serves as the 18th Surgeon General of the United States. Dr. Benjamin previously directed a nonprofit primary care medical clinic in Bayou La Batre, Alabama and served on the Board of Trustees for the Morehouse School of...
, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 29, 2009. She was unofficially sworn in to begin work on November 3, 2009, and was officially sworn in January 11, 2010.
Responsibilities
United States Assistant Secretary for Health
The United States Assistant Secretary for Health serves as the Secretary of Health and Human Services's primary advisor on matters involving the nation's public health and, if serving as an active member in the regular corps, is the highest ranking uniformed officer in the Public Health Service...
(ASH), who may be a four-star admiral
Admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC), and who serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of Health and Human Services
United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, concerned with health matters. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet...
on public health and scientific
Healthcare science
Healthcare science is the applied science dealing with the application of science, technology, engineering or mathematics to the delivery of healthcare....
issues. The Surgeon General is the overall head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, a 6,000-member Commissioned Corps of the USPHS, a cadre of health professionals
Health care provider
A health care provider is an individual or an institution that provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to individuals, families or communities....
who are on call 24 hours a day, and can be dispatched by the Secretary of HHS or the Assistant Secretary for Health in the event of a public health emergency
Medical emergency
A medical emergency is an injury or illness that is acute and poses an immediate risk to a person's life or long term health. These emergencies may require assistance from another person, who should ideally be suitably qualified to do so, although some of these emergencies can be dealt with by the...
.
The Surgeon General is also the ultimate award authority for several public health awards and decorations, the highest of which that can be directly awarded is the Surgeon General's Medallion (the highest award bestowed by board action is the Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
). The Surgeon General also has many informal duties, such as educating the American public about health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
issues and advocating healthy lifestyle choices.
The office also periodically issues health warnings. Perhaps the best known example of this is the Surgeon General's Warning labels that can be found on all packages of American cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s. A similar health warning appears on alcoholic beverages
Alcoholic Beverage Labeling Act
The Alcoholic Beverage Labeling Act of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, , , is a United States federal law requiring that the labels of alcoholic beverages carry a government warning.The warning reads:...
.
History
Marine Hospital Service
The Marine-Hospital Service was an organization of Marine Hospitals dedicated to the care of ill and disabled seamen in the U.S. Merchant Marine, U.S. Coast Guard and other federal beneficiaries....
—predecessor to today’s United States Public Health Service
United States Public Health Service
The Public Health Service Act of 1944 structured the United States Public Health Service as the primary division of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare , which later became the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The PHS comprises all Agency Divisions of Health and...
—to provide health care to sick and injured merchant seamen. In 1870, the Marine Hospital Service was reorganized as a national hospital system with centralized administration under a medical officer, the Supervising Surgeon, who was later given the title of Surgeon General.
The U.S. Public Health Service was under the direction of the Office of the Surgeon General and was an independent government agency
Independent agencies of the United States government
Independent agencies of the United States federal government are those agencies that exist outside of the federal executive departments...
until 1953 at which point it was integrated into the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
, and later into the United States Department of Health and Human Services
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
. Although the U.S. Public Health Service and the Surgeon General were at various times under the umbrella of the Department of the Treasury
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
or the Federal Security Agency
Federal Security Agency
The Federal Security Agency was an independent agency of the United States government established in 1939 pursuant to the "Reorganization Act of 1939"...
, the agency operated with a substantial amount of independence.
Some Surgeons General have been noted for being outspoken and advocating controversial proposals on how to reform the U.S. health system
Health care in the United States
Health care in the United States is provided by many separate legal entities. Health care facilities are largely owned and operated by the private sector...
. The office is not a particularly powerful one, and has little direct impact on policy-making, but Surgeons General are often vocal advocates of unconventional or unpopular health policies.
- In 1964, Dr. Luther Terry, M.D., published a landmark reportSmoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the United StatesSmoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the United States was a landmark report published on January 11, 1964 by the Surgeon General's Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health, chaired by then-Surgeon General of the United States Luther Terry regarding the...
saying that smoking may be hazardous to health, sparking nationwide anti-smoking efforts. Terry and his committee defined cigarette smoking of nicotine as not an addictionSubstance dependenceThe section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
(the committee was made of largely physicians who themselves smoked). This error wasn't corrected for 24 years.
- In 1986, Vice Admiral C. Everett KoopC. Everett KoopCharles Everett Koop, MD is an American pediatric surgeon and public health administrator. He was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and served as thirteenth Surgeon General of the United States under President Ronald Reagan from 1982 to 1989.-Early years:Koop was born...
's report on AIDSAIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
called for some form of AIDS education in the early grades of elementary school and gave full support for using condoms for disease prevention.
- In 1994, Vice Admiral Joycelyn Elders had spoken at a United Nations conference on AIDS. She was asked whether it would be appropriate to promote masturbation as a means of preventing young people from engaging in riskier forms of sexual activity, and she replied, "I think that it is part of human sexuality, and perhaps it should be taught."
The U.S. Army, Navy
Surgeon General of the United States Navy
The Surgeon General of the United States Navy is the senior-most medical corps officer in the United States Navy.- Establishment of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery :...
, and Air Force
Surgeon General of the United States Air Force
The Surgeon General of the United States Air Force is the senior-most Medical Service officer in the U.S. Air Force. In recent times, this has been a Lieutenant General who serves as head of the United States Air Force Medical Service...
also have officers overseeing medical matters in their respective services who hold the title Surgeon General.
The insignia of the Surgeon General, and the USPHS, use the caduceus
Caduceus
The caduceus is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology. The same staff was also borne by heralds in general, for example by Iris, the messenger of Hera. It is a short staff entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings...
. See Caduceus as a symbol of medicine
Caduceus as a symbol of medicine
The caduceus, the traditional symbol of Hermes featuring two snakes around an often winged staff, is often mistakenly used as a symbol of medicine, especially in the United States of America. The two-snake caduceus design has ancient and consistent associations with commerce, eloquence, trickery...
.
Service rank
The Surgeon General is a commissioned officer in the Public Health Service Commissioned CorpsPublic Health Service Commissioned Corps
The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is the federal uniformed service of the United States Public Health Service and is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States....
, one of the seven uniformed services of the United States
Uniformed services of the United States
The United States has seven federal uniformed services that commission officers as defined by Title 10, and subsequently structured and organized by Title 10, Title 14, Title 33 and Title 42 of the United States Code.-Uniformed services:...
, and by law holds the rank of vice admiral
Vice admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of...
. Officers of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps are classified as non-combatants, but can be subjected to the Uniform Code of Military Justice
Uniform Code of Military Justice
The Uniform Code of Military Justice , is the foundation of military law in the United States. It is was established by the United States Congress in accordance with the authority given by the United States Constitution in Article I, Section 8, which provides that "The Congress shall have Power . ....
(UCMJ) and the Geneva Conventions
Geneva Conventions
The Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for the humanitarian treatment of the victims of war...
when designated by the Commander-in-Chief
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
as a military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
force or if they are detailed or assigned to work with the armed forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
. Officer members of these services wear uniform
Uniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
s that are similar to those worn by the U.S. Navy, except that the commissioning devices, buttons, and insignia are unique. Officers in Public Health Service wear unique devices which are similar to U.S. Navy Staff Corps Officers (e.g., Navy Medical Service Corps, Supply Corps, etc.).
The only Surgeon General to hold the rank of a four-star admiral
Admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
was David Satcher
David Satcher
David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D. FAAFP, FACPM, FACP is an American physician, and public health administrator. He was a four-star admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and served as the 10th Assistant Secretary for Health, and the 16th Surgeon General of the United...
. This was because he served simultaneously in the positions of Surgeon General (three-star) and Assistant Secretary for Health (which is a four-star office).
Surgeons General of the United States
| # | Name | Photo | Term of Office | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start Of Term | End Of Term | ||||
| 1 | John M. Woodworth John Maynard Woodworth John Maynard Woodworth was an American physician and member of the Woodworth political family. He served as the first Supervising-Surgeon General under U.S. president Ulysses S. Grant, then changed to Surgeon General of the United States Marine Hospital Service from 1871 to 1879.-Early... |
29 March 1871 | 14 March 1879 | Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America... |
|
| 2 | RADM John B. Hamilton John B. Hamilton John B. Hamilton was an American physician and soldier. He was appointed the second Surgeon General of the United States from 1879 to 1891.-Early years:... |
3 April 1879 | 1 June 1891 | Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution... |
|
| 3 | RADM Walter Wyman Walter Wyman Walter Wyman was an American physician and soldier. He was appointed the third Surgeon General of the United States from 1891 until his death in 1911.-Early years:... |
1 June 1891 | 21 November 1911 | Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there... |
|
| 4 | RADM Rupert Blue Rupert Blue Rupert Blue was an American physician and soldier. He was appointed the fourth Surgeon General of the United States from 1912 to 1920.-Early years:... |
13 January 1912 | 3 March 1920 | William Taft | |
| 5 | RADM Hugh S. Cumming Hugh S. Cumming Hugh Smith Cumming was an American physician, and soldier. He was appointed the fifth Surgeon General of the United States from 1920 to 1936.- Early life :Cumming was born in Hampton, Virginia... |
 |
3 March 1920 | 31 January 1936 | Woodrow Wilson Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913... |
| 6 | RADM Thomas Parran, Jr. Thomas Parran, Jr. Thomas Parran, Jr. was an American physician and Public Health Service officer. He was appointed the sixth Surgeon General of the United States from 1936 to 1948.-Early years :... |
 |
6 April 1936 | 6 April 1948 | Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war... |
| 7 | RADM Leonard A. Scheele Leonard A. Scheele Leonard Andrew Scheele was an American physician and public servant. He was appointed the seventh Surgeon General of the United States from 1948 to 1956.-Early years:... |
6 April 1948 | 8 August 1956 | Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his... |
|
| 8 | RADM Leroy Edgar Burney Leroy Edgar Burney Leroy Edgar Burney was an American physician and public health official. He was appointed the eighth Surgeon General of the United States from 1956 to 1961.-Early years:... |
1 August 1956 | 29 January 1961 | Dwight Eisenhower | |
| 9 | RADM Luther Terry |  |
2 March 1961 | 1 October 1965 | John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.... |
| 10 | VADM Vice admiral (United States) In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of... William H. Stewart William H. Stewart William H. Stewart was an American pediatrician and epidemiologist. He was appointed tenth Surgeon General of the United States from 1965 to 1969.-Early years:Stewart was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota... |
1 October 1965 | 1 August 1969 | Lyndon Johnson | |
| 11 | RADM Jesse Leonard Steinfeld Jesse Leonard Steinfeld Jesse Leonard Steinfeld is an American physician and public health official. He was appointed the eleventh Surgeon General of the United States from 1969 to 1973.-Early years:... |
18 December 1969 | 30 June 1973 | Richard Nixon Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under... |
|
| RADM Paul Ehrlich, Jr. Paul Ehrlich (surgeon general) Saul Paul Ehrlich, Jr. was an American physician and public health administrator. He served as acting Surgeon General of the United States from 1973 to 1977.*Acting Surgeon General, United States Public Health Service... |
1 July 1973 | 13 July 1977 | |||
| 12 | VADM Julius B. Richmond Julius B. Richmond Julius Benjamin Richmond was an American pediatrician and public health administrator. He was a vice admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and served as the United States Surgeon General and the United States Assistant Secretary for Health during the Carter... |
13 July 1977 | 14 May 1981 | Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office... |
|
| Edward Brandt, Jr. Edward Brandt, Jr. Edward N. Brandt, Jr. was an American physician, mathematician, and public health administrator. He was appointed acting Surgeon General of the United States from 1981 to 1982, and served as the United States Assistant Secretary for Health from 1981 to 1984. Brandt died of lung cancer on August... |
14 May 1981 | 21 January 1982 | Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor.... |
||
| 13 | VADM C. Everett Koop C. Everett Koop Charles Everett Koop, MD is an American pediatric surgeon and public health administrator. He was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and served as thirteenth Surgeon General of the United States under President Ronald Reagan from 1982 to 1989.-Early years:Koop was born... |
 |
21 January 1982 | 1 October 1989 | |
| ADM Admiral (United States) In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health... James O. Mason James O. Mason James Ostermann Mason was the United States Assistant Secretary for Health from 1989 to 1993 and the Acting Surgeon General of the United States from 1989 to 1990. As the ASH he was also a former four-star admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps... |
 |
1 October 1989 | 9 March 1990 | George H. W. Bush George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to... |
|
| 14 | VADM Antonia C. Novello Antonia Novello Antonia Coello Novello, M.D., is a Puerto Rican physician and public health administrator. She was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and served as fourteenth Surgeon General of the United States from 1990 to 1993... |
9 March 1990 | 30 June 1993 | ||
| RADM Robert A. Whitney Robert A. Whitney Robert A. Whitney is an American veterinarian and public health administrator. He served as acting Surgeon General of the United States from July to September 1993.-Biography:Whitney was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma... |
1 July 1993 | 8 September 1993 | Bill Clinton Bill Clinton William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation... |
||
| 15 | VADM Joycelyn Elders |  |
8 September 1993 | 31 December 1994 | |
| RADM Audrey F. Manley Audrey F. Manley Audrey Forbes Manley an American pediatrician, and public health administrator. She was appointed acting Surgeon General of the United States from 1995 to 1997. From 1997 to 2002, Dr. Manley served as President of Spelman College, a historically black college for women in Atlanta, Georgia... |
 |
1 January 1995 | 1 July 1997 | ||
| 16 | ADM / VADM David Satcher David Satcher David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D. FAAFP, FACPM, FACP is an American physician, and public health administrator. He was a four-star admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and served as the 10th Assistant Secretary for Health, and the 16th Surgeon General of the United... |
 |
13 February 1998 | 12 February 2002 | |
| RADM Kenneth P. Moritsugu Kenneth P. Moritsugu Kenneth P. Moritsugu is an American physician and public health administrator.Rear Admiral USPHS, retired in September 2007 as acting United States Surgeon General... |
13 February 2002 | 4 August 2002 | George W. Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000.... |
||
| 17 | VADM Richard Carmona Richard Carmona Richard Henry Carmona is an American physician, public health administrator, and politician. He was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and served as the seventeenth Surgeon General of the United States. Appointed by President George W. Bush in 2002, Carmona left office... |
 |
5 August 2002 | 31 July 2006 | |
| RADM Kenneth P. Moritsugu Kenneth P. Moritsugu Kenneth P. Moritsugu is an American physician and public health administrator.Rear Admiral USPHS, retired in September 2007 as acting United States Surgeon General... |
1 August 2006 | 30 September 2007 | |||
| RADM Steven K. Galson Steven K. Galson Steven Kenneth Galson is an American public health physician. He is a retired rear admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and public health administrator who served as the acting Surgeon General of the United States from October 1, 2007 – October 1, 2009... |
 |
1 October 2007 | 1 October 2009 | ||
| RADM Donald L. Weaver Donald L. Weaver Donald L. Weaver is an American physician. He is a rear admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and public health administrator who served as the acting Surgeon General of the United States. Weaver succeeded Steven K. Galson in October 2009, in expectation of a holdup... |
1 October 2009 | 3 November 2009 | Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... |
||
| 18 | VADM Regina Benjamin Regina Benjamin Vice Admiral Regina Marcia Benjamin, USPHS is an American physician who serves as the 18th Surgeon General of the United States. Dr. Benjamin previously directed a nonprofit primary care medical clinic in Bayou La Batre, Alabama and served on the Board of Trustees for the Morehouse School of... |
3 November 2009 | Incumbent | ||