William Foege
Encyclopedia
William Herbert Foege M.D.
, M.P.H.
(icon; born 1936 in Decorah, Iowa
) is an American epidemiologist who is credited with "devising the global strategy that led to the eradication of smallpox
in the late 1970s".
Foege also "played a central role" in efforts that greatly increased immunization
rates in developing countries in the 1980s.
His book, House on Fire: The Fight to Eradicate Smallpox (ISBN 978-0520268364) was published in June 2011.
, in 1945.
In his younger days he was inspired by the life of his uncle, a Lutheran missionary to New Guinea
. He became interested in science at age 13 when working at a pharmacy, and read extensively about the world (e.g., Albert Schweitzer
's work in Africa) while in a body cast for several months at age 15. When a teenager he expressed a desire to practice medicine in Africa.
in 1957. He attended medical school at the University of Washington
, where he became interested in public health
while working "after school and on Saturdays" at the Seattle–King County Health Department
. After receiving his M.D. in 1961, he completed an internship with the United States Public Health Service
hospital at Staten Island
in 1961-1962.
He participated in the Epidemic Intelligence Service
(EIS) of the Communicable Disease Center (CDC) between 1962 and 1964, assigned to Colorado
. When Foege was with the EIS, he was inspired by Alexander Langmuir
to pursue global health, and spent a short time with the Peace Corps
in India under Charles Snead Houston
. Upon reading a lecture on priorities in public health by Thomas Huckle Weller
, Foege entered the Master of Public Health
program at the Harvard School of Public Health
where he studied with Weller. He received his M.P.H. in 1965.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
, M.P.H.
Master of Public Health
The Master of Public Health and the Doctor of Public Health are multi-disciplinary professional degrees awarded for studies in areas related to public health....
(icon; born 1936 in Decorah, Iowa
Decorah, Iowa
Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,172 at the 2000 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S...
) is an American epidemiologist who is credited with "devising the global strategy that led to the eradication of smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
in the late 1970s".
Foege also "played a central role" in efforts that greatly increased immunization
Immunization
Immunization, or immunisation, is the process by which an individual's immune system becomes fortified against an agent ....
rates in developing countries in the 1980s.
His book, House on Fire: The Fight to Eradicate Smallpox (ISBN 978-0520268364) was published in June 2011.
Early life
Foege was born 12 March 1936 in Decorah, Iowa. He was the third of six children born to William A. Foege, a Lutheran minister, and Anne Erika Foege. The family lived in Eldorado, Fayette County, Iowa, starting in 1936 and moved to Chewelah, WashingtonChewelah, Washington
Chewelah is a city in Stevens County, Washington, United States. Chewelah was labeled Chiel-Charle-Mous on the 1897 U. S. Land Office Map. The population was 2,607 at the 2010 census which was a 19.3% increase over the 2000 census.-History:...
, in 1945.
In his younger days he was inspired by the life of his uncle, a Lutheran missionary to New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. He became interested in science at age 13 when working at a pharmacy, and read extensively about the world (e.g., Albert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer OM was a German theologian, organist, philosopher, physician, and medical missionary. He was born in Kaysersberg in the province of Alsace-Lorraine, at that time part of the German Empire...
's work in Africa) while in a body cast for several months at age 15. When a teenager he expressed a desire to practice medicine in Africa.
Education
Foege received a B.A. from Pacific Lutheran UniversityPacific Lutheran University
Pacific Lutheran University is located in Parkland, a suburb of Tacoma, Washington. In September 2009, PLU had a student population of 3,582 and approximately 280 full-time faculty...
in 1957. He attended medical school at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, where he became interested in public health
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...
while working "after school and on Saturdays" at the Seattle–King County Health Department
Public Health - Seattle & King County
Public Health - Seattle & King County is the Public Health department that is jointly managed by the City of Seattle and King County governments serving approximately 1.8 million residents in King County, Washington State...
. After receiving his M.D. in 1961, he completed an internship with the 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...
hospital at Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
in 1961-1962.
He participated in the Epidemic Intelligence Service
Epidemic Intelligence Service
The Epidemic Intelligence Service is a program of the United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Established in 1951, due to biological warfare concerns arising from the Korean War, it has become a hands-on two-year postgraduate training program in epidemiology, with a focus on...
(EIS) of the Communicable Disease Center (CDC) between 1962 and 1964, assigned to Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. When Foege was with the EIS, he was inspired by Alexander Langmuir
Alexander Langmuir
Alexander Duncan Langmuir was an American epidemiologist. He is renowned for creating the Epidemic Intelligence Service.-Biography:...
to pursue global health, and spent a short time with the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
in India under Charles Snead Houston
Charles Snead Houston
-References:-External links:* - Daily Telegraph obituary* Independent obituary, 1 October 2009.-Notes:...
. Upon reading a lecture on priorities in public health by Thomas Huckle Weller
Thomas Huckle Weller
Thomas Huckle Weller was an American virologist. He, John Franklin Enders and Frederick Chapman Robbins were awarded a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1954 for showing how to cultivate poliomyelitis viruses in a test tube, using tissue from a monkey.Weller was born and grew up in Ann...
, Foege entered the Master of Public Health
Professional degrees of public health
The Master of Public Health and the Doctor of Public Health are multi-disciplinary professional degrees awarded for studies in areas related to public health....
program at the Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
where he studied with Weller. He received his M.P.H. in 1965.
Career
- Director, Centers for Disease Control, 1977–1983
- Senior Fellow, Global Health Program, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Advisory Board Member, Emory UniversityEmory UniversityEmory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
Global Health Institute - Professor Emeritus, Rollins School of Public HealthRollins School of Public HealthThe Rollins School of Public Health is the public health school of Emory University. Founded in 1990, RSPH has more than 850 students pursuing master's degrees and over 100 students pursuing doctorate degrees...
- Health Policy Fellow, The Carter Center, 1986–present
- Executive Director, The Carter Center, 1986-1992
Personal life
Also known as "Bill Foege," he is noted for his height of 6 in 7 in (2.01 m). Foege and his wife Paula had three sons, the eldest of whom died in 2007. He has been described as a "religious man"; between 1997 and 2006 he served on the Board of Regents of Pacific Lutheran University.Awards and honors
- Abraham Lilienfeld Award, American College of EpidemiologyAmerican College of EpidemiologyThe American College of Epidemiology is an American organization incorporated in 1979 to support and promote the work of American epidemiologists. It is based in Raleigh, North Carolina....
, 1990 - Fries Prize for Improving Health, James F. and Sarah T. Fries Foundation (formerly known as the Healthtrac Foundation), 1992
- Sedgwick Memorial MedalSedgwick Memorial MedalThe Sedgwick Memorial Medal, given by the American Public Health Association, was established in 1929 for distinguished service and advancement of public health knowledge and practice. It is considered the APHA's highest honor....
, American Public Health AssociationAmerican Public Health AssociationThe American Public Health Association is Washington, D.C.-based professional organization for public health professionals in the United States. Founded in 1872 by Dr. Stephen Smith, APHA has more than 30,000 members worldwide...
, 1993 - Frank A. Calderone Prize, Columbia Mailman School of Public HealthColumbia Mailman School of Public HealthThe Columbia Mailman School of Public Health is one of the schools of Columbia University in New York City. It is one of the first schools of public health recognized by the Council on Education for Public Health and remains a leading academic and research institution. The beginnings of the school...
, 1996 - Honorary Doctor of Science, Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, 1997 - Honorary Fellow, London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineThe London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a constituent college of the federal University of London, specialising in public health and tropical medicine...
, 1997–present - Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Pacific Lutheran University, 2000
- Wittenberg Award, The Luther Institute, 2001
- Mary Woodard Lasker Award for Public ServiceMary Woodard Lasker Award for Public ServiceThe Mary Woodard Lasker Award for Public Service is awarded by the Lasker Foundation. It was previously known as the Albert Lasker Public Service Award, but was renamed in 2000 in honour of his wife. Past Winners include:*2009 Michael Bloomberg...
, 2001 - C-E.A. Winslow Medal, Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, 2004 - Thomas Francis, Jr.Thomas Francis, Jr.Thomas Francis, Jr. was an American physician, virologist, and epidemiologist. Francis was the first person to isolate influenza virus in America, and in 1940 showed that there are other strains of influenza, and took part in the development of influenza vaccines.- Life and achievements :Francis...
Medal in Global Public Health, University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, 2005 - Public Welfare MedalPublic Welfare MedalThe Public Welfare Medal is awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences "in recognition of distinguished contributions in the application of science to the public welfare." It is the most prestigious honor conferred by the Academy...
, United States National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
, 2005 - Honorary Doctor of Medical Sciences, Yale University, 2005
- Albert B. Sabin Gold MedalAlbert B. Sabin Gold MedalThe Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal is awarded annually by the Sabin Vaccine Institute in recognition of work in the field of vaccinology or a complementary field. It is in commemoration of the pioneering work of Albert B. Sabin.-List of previous recipients:...
, Sabin Vaccine InstituteSabin Vaccine InstituteThe Sabin Vaccine Institute is a non-profit, 501 organization dedicated to reducing needless humansuffering from vaccine preventable and neglected tropical diseases through prevention and treatment...
, 2006 - Julius B. RichmondJulius B. RichmondJulius 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...
Award, Harvard School of Public Health, 2006 - The William H. Foege building, named in his honor and dedicated in 2006, houses the University of Washington School of Medicine's Departments of Bioengineering and Genome Sciences.
- Jimmy and Rosalynn CarterRosalynn CarterEleanor Rosalynn Carter is the wife of the former President of the United States Jimmy Carter and in that capacity served as the First Lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981. As First Lady and after, she has been a leading advocate for numerous causes, perhaps most prominently for mental...
Award for Humanitarian Contributions to the Health of Humankind, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, 2007 - Chosen as one of "America's Best Leaders" by U.S. News & World Report, 2007
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler Award for Sustained National Leadership, Research!America, 2008
- CDC Foundation Hero Award, 2009
Books and book chapters
- Foege WH. "Foreword." In:
External links
- Bill Foege Oral History (interview by Victoria Harden, July 13, 2006; part of the Global Health Chronicles site).