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Harrison Spencer . Photo by ASPPH Donald “ D . A .” Henderson . Photo by UPMC Center for Health Security
In Memoriam
APHL was saddened to learn of the passing of two public health legends in August : Harrison C . Spencer , MD , MPH , DTM & H , CPH , president and CEO of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health and Donald “ D . A .” Henderson , MD , MPH , former dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health .
Nationally and internationally recognized for his clinical public health work , research endeavors in infectious disease prevention and control , and authorship of more than 100 publications , Dr . Spencer was a global health practitioner , serving in many capacities at CDC and WHO during his career . His years as dean of the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans , LA and dean of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom gave him invaluable insight into university politics , education and academic public health . He co-founded the Interprofessional Education Collaborative with his medical , nursing , pharmacy and dentistry peers in 2009 , where he also served as chair of the board .
Dr . Henderson led the World Health Organization ’ s successful campaign to eradicate smallpox in the 1960s and 1970s . Instead of mounting a massive campaign , Dr . Henderson vaccinated people who came in contact with victims to stop smallpox outbreaks at their source . He combined this strategy with a more efficient , cost-effective vaccination technology , the bifurcated needle . The result was a stunning achievement : eradication of smallpox in only 11 years . In addition to his global health work , Dr . Henderson provided support to Presidents George H . W . Bush , Bill Clinton and George W . Bush on response to health threats and served as dean of the Bloomberg School of Public Health . In 2002 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to public health .
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