C. Everett Koop, M.D.

(1916 - )

Koop pioneered innovations in surgical treatment of children during a 40-year medical career. As U.S. Surgeon General, he educated the nation on major public health concerns, including smoking, violence, and AIDS. He has also been a professor of pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania medical school, surgeon-in-chief of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Pediatric Surgery. Koop was sworn in as U.S. Surgeon General in 1981. Since resigning in 1989, he has continued to promote public health through his prolific writings and work as senior scholar at the C. Everett Koop Institute at Dartmouth.