Who
is Dr. C. Everett Koop?
Biographical/Historical Note
Dr. C. Everett Koop was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Health, U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) in February 1981, and sworn
in as Surgeon General on November 17, 1981. Additionally, he was
appointed Director of the Office of International Health in May
1982.
Before joining the PHS, Dr. Koop, a pediatric surgeon with an international
reputation, was Surgeon-in-Chief of Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia and Professor of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatrics
at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Koop was born in Brooklyn, New York, on October 14, 1916, graduated
from Dartmouth College in 1937 and received his M.D. degree
from Cornell Medical College in 1941. After serving an internship
at the Pennsylvania Hospital, he pursued postgraduate training
at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Boston
Children's Hospital and the Graduate School of Medicine, University
of Pennsylvania, from which he received the degree of Doctor
of Science (Medicine) in 1947. After promotions up the academic
ladder, he was named Professor of Pediatric Surgery, School
of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania in 1959 and Professor
of Pediatrics in 1971.
As Surgeon General, Dr. Koop advised the public on health matters
such as smoking and health, diet and nutrition, environmental
health hazards, and the importance of immunization and disease
prevention. He oversaw the activities of the 6,000 member
PHS Commissioned Corps. Specific responsibilities included
serving as an ex-officio member of the Board of Regents, National
Library of Medicine; Board of Regents, Uniformed Services
University of the Health Sciences; Board of Directors, Armed
Forces Institute of Pathology; and the Board of Governors,
Gorgas Memorial Institute.
Dr. Koop has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards including
seventeen honorary doctorates. He is a recipient of the Presidential
Medal of Freedom. He was awarded the Denis Brown Gold Medal
by the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons; the William
E. Ladd Gold Medal of the American Academy of Pediatrics in
recognition of outstanding contributions to the field of pediatric
surgery; the Order of Duarte, Sanchez, and Mella, the highest
award of the Dominican Republic, for his achievement in separating
the conjoined Domician twins; and a number of other awards
from civic, religious, medical and philanthropic organizations.
He was awarded the Medal of the Legion of Honor by France
in 1980, inducted into the Royal College of Surgeons of England
in 1982, and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons
of Glasgow. In May 1983, Dr. Koop was awarded the Public Health
Service Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of his
extraordinary leadership of the U.S. Public Health Service.
Dr. Koop is a member of the American Surgical Association,
the Society of University Surgeons, the American Pediatric
Surgical Association, and other professional societies. He
is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American
Academy of Pediatrics. He also holds membership in many international
organizations. He is the author of more than 200 articles
and books on the practice of medicine.
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