William H. Foege
| William H. Foege | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
March 12, 1936 Decorah, Iowa |
| Residence | United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater |
Pacific Lutheran University (BA) University of Washington (MD) Harvard School of Public Health (MPH) |
| Occupation |
Physician Epidemiologist |
| Employer | Centers for Disease Control |
| Spouse(s) | Paula Foege |
William Herbert FoegeM.D., M.P.H. (/ˈfeɪɡiː/; 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.
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.
Foege was born March 12 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, Iowa in Fayette County, starting in 1936 and moved to Chewelah, Washington, 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.
Foege received a B.A. from Pacific Lutheran University 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.
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