William Foege | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 10th Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | |
| In office May 1977 – 1983 | |
| President | Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | David Sencer |
| Succeeded by | James Mason |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 12, 1936 Decorah, Iowa, U.S. |
| Spouse | Paula Foege |
| Education | Pacific Lutheran University (BA) University of Washington (MD) Harvard University (MPH) |
| Awards | Calderone Prize (1996) Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize |
William Herbert Foege[1] (/ˈfeɪɡi/;[2] fay-ghee; born March 12, 1936) is an American physician and epidemiologist who is credited with "devising the global strategy that led to the eradication of smallpox in the late 1970s".[3] From May 1977 to 1983, Foege served as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Foege also "played a central role" in efforts that greatly increased immunization rates in developing countries in the 1980s.[4]
In June 2011, he authored House on Fire: The Fight to Eradicate Smallpox, a book on modern science, medicine, and public health over the smallpox disease.[5]
On September 23, 2020, he sent a private letter to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert R. Redfield urging him to acknowledge in writing that the CDC had responded poorly to COVID-19 and to set a new course for how CDC would lead the United States' response, calling the White House's approach "disastrous."[6]
- ^ The Crimson Staff (June 5, 1997). "Eleven granted honorary degrees". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on February 15, 2006. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
- ^ Hagen R (May 8, 2006). "Say how? A pronunciation guide to names of public figures". National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
- ^ Paulson T (March 9, 2006). "Carter hails UW's shy hero Foege. New building named for health leader is dedicated". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
- ^ Kim JY (November 12, 2007). "America's best leaders. William H. Foege, physician. A lifelong battle against disease". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
- ^ "President Obama honors William Foege, Emory professor emeritus, with prestigious award". Woodruff Health Sciences Center. May 29, 2012.
- ^ Murphy, Brett and Letitia Stein (October 6, 2020). ""It is a slaughter": Infectious disease icon asks CDC director to expose White House, orchestrate his own firing". USA Today. Retrieved October 7, 2020.