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 was a member of the American Surgical Association, the
Society of University Surgeons, the American Pediatric Surgical
Association, and other professional societies. He was a Fellow of
the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
He also held membership in many international organizations. He
authored more than 200 articles and books on the practice
of medicine.
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