Donald A. Henderson

Donald Ainslie Henderson (September 7, 1928 – August 19, 2016) was an American physician, educator, and epidemiologist who directed a 10-year international effort (1967–1977) that eradicated smallpox throughout the world and launched international childhood vaccination programs. From 1977 to 1990, he was Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Later, he played a leading role in instigating national programs for public health preparedness and response following biological attacks and national disasters via establishing the Center for Health Security . At the time of his death, he was Professor and Dean Emeritus of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Professor of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh, as well as Distinguished Scholar and former Founder of the Center for Health Security.

Early life and education Henderson was born in Ohio. His father, David Henderson, was an engineer; his mother, Eleanor McMillan, was a nurse. His interest in medicine was inspired by a Canadian uncle, William McMillan, who was a general practitioner and senior member of the Canadian House of Commons.

Henderson graduated from Oberlin College in 1950 and received his MD from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in 1954. He was a resident physician in medicine at the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, New York, and, later, a Public Health Service Officer in the Epidemic Intelligence Service of the Communicable Disease Center (now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—CDC). He earned an MPH degree in 1960 from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health (now the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health). This project was funded by USAID, with field operations beginning in 1967. This success gave impetus to WHO's global Expanded Program on Immunization, which targeted other vaccine-preventable diseases, including poliomyelitis, measles, tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough. Now targeted for eradication are poliomyelitis and Guinea Worm disease; after 25 years, this objective is close to being achieved.

Later work From 1977 through August 1990, Henderson was Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. After being awarded the 1986 National Medal of Science by Ronald Reagan for his work leading the World Health Organization (WHO) smallpox eradication campaign, Henderson launched a public struggle to reverse the Reagan administration's decision to default on WHO payments. In 1991, he was appointed associate director for life sciences, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President (1991–93) and, later, deputy assistant secretary and senior science advisor in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). For this purpose, $3 billion was appropriated by Congress.

At the time of his death, he served as the Editor Emeritus of the academic journal Health Security (formerly Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science).

Honors and awards

1975 – George McDonald Medal, London School of Tropical Medicine 1978 – Public Welfare Medal, National Academy of Sciences 1985 – Albert Schweitzer International Prize for Medicine 1986 – National Medal of Science in Biology 1988 – The Japan Prize, shared with Isao Arita and Frank Fenner 1990 – Health for All Medal, World Health Organization 1993 – Walter Reed Medal, The American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene 1994 – Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal, Sabin Foundation 1995 – John Stearns Medal, New York Academy of Medicine 1996 – Edward Jenner Medal, Royal Society of Medicine 2001 – Clan Henderson Society, Chiefs Order 2002 – Presidential Medal of Freedom 2007 – John Snow Society's Pumphandle Lecture 2013 – Order of Brilliant Star, with Grand Cordon, Republic of China 2014 – Prince Mahidol Award, Thailand 2015 – Charles Merieux Award, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases

Seventeen universities conferred honorary degrees on Henderson.

Selected publications

Fenner F, Henderson DA, Arita I, Jezek Z, Ladnyi. (1988) Smallpox and Its Eradication , Geneva, World Health Organization. The definitive archival history of smallpox. Henderson DA. (2009) Smallpox, the Death of a Disease New York: Prometheus Books Henderson DA (1993) Surveillance systems and intergovernmental cooperation. In: Morse SS, ed. Emerging Viruses. New York: Oxford University Press: 283–289. Henderson DA, Borio LL (2005) Bioterrorism: an overview. In Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases (Eds. Mandell MD, Bennett JE, Dolin R) Phil, Churchill Livingstone, 3591–3601. Henderson DA (2010) The global eradication of smallpox: Historical Perspective and Future Prospects in The Global Eradication of Smallpox (Ed: Bhattacharya S, Messenger S) Orient Black Swan, London. 7–35

Henderson DA. (1967) Smallpox eradication and measles-control programs in West and Central Africa: Theoretical and practical approaches and problems. Industry and Trop Health VI, 112–120, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston.

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Personal life Henderson married Nana Irene Bragg in 1951.