William Foege
William Foege | |
|---|---|
| 10th Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | |
| In office May 1977 – November 30, 1983 | |
| President | Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | David Sencer |
| Succeeded by | James Mason |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Herbert Foege March 12, 1936 Decorah, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | January 24, 2026 (aged 89) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Spouse | Paula Foege |
| Children | 3 (1 predeceased) |
| Education | Pacific Lutheran University (BA) University of Washington (MD) Harvard University (MPH) |
| Awards | Calderone Prize (1996) Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize |
William Herbert Foege (/ˈfeɪɡi/ FAY-ghee; March 12, 1936 – January 24, 2026) was an American physician and epidemiologist who is credited with "devising the global strategy that led to the eradication of smallpox in the late 1970s". From May 1977 to 1983, Foege served as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Foege also "played a central role" in efforts that greatly increased immunization rates in developing countries in the 1980s.