Donald Henderson
Donald Henderson
Donald Henderson (pronounced DON-uld HEN-der-son) was an American medical doctor and epidemiologist who led the international effort to eradicate smallpox in the 20th century.
Etymology
The name "Donald" is of Scottish origin and means "ruler of the world". "Henderson" is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Hendry" or "son of Henry".
Biography
Donald Ainslie Henderson was born on September 7, 1928, in Lakewood, Ohio. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1950 and received his MD from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in 1954. He also held a Master of Public Health degree from the Johns Hopkins University.
In 1966, Henderson was appointed director of the World Health Organization's global smallpox eradication campaign. Under his leadership, the disease was declared eradicated in 1980, marking the first time a disease had been eliminated by human effort.
Henderson also served as Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and as a White House science advisor. He passed away on August 19, 2016.
Related Terms
- Epidemiology: The study and analysis of the distribution, patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in defined populations.
- Smallpox: An infectious disease caused by one of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor.
- World Health Organization: A specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Donald Henderson
- Wikipedia's article - Donald Henderson
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