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Surgeon General of the United States

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Surgeon General of the United States

The surgeon general of the United States is the operational head of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and thus a leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government of the United States. The surgeon general's office and staff are known as the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG), which is housed within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. The U . surgeon general is nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. The surgeon general must be appointed from individuals who are members of the regular corps of the United States Public Health Service and have specialized training or significant experience in public health programs. However, there is no time requirement for membership in the Public Health Service before holding the office of the Surgeon General, and nominees traditionally were appointed as members of the Public Health Service and as surgeon general at the same time. The surgeon general serves a four-year term of office and, depending on whether the current assistant secretary for health is a commissioned corps officer, is either the senior or next-most senior uniformed officer of the commissioned corps, holding the rank of vice admiral.

Infobox

Style
Surgeon General Vice Admiral
Abbreviation
SG VADM
Reports to
Assistant Secretary for Health
Seat
Hubert H. Humphrey Building, United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Washington, D .
Appointer
President of the United States with United States Senate advice and consent
Term length
4 years
Constituting instrument
42 U . § 205 and 42 U . § 207
Formation
March 29, 1871
First holder
John M. Woodworth (as supervising surgeon)
Deputy
Deputy Surgeon General of the United States
Website
www

Tables

· List of surgeons general of the United States
Time in office
Time in office
No.
Took office
Name (Birth–Death)
Time in office
John M. Woodworth (1837–1879)
John M. Woodworth (1837–1879)
No.
1
Name (Birth–Death)
John M. Woodworth (1837–1879)
Term of office
March 29, 1871
Term of office
March 14, 1879
Term of office
7 years, 350 days
Appointed by (term)
Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877)
Commodore John B. Hamilton (1847–1898)
Commodore John B. Hamilton (1847–1898)
No.
2
Name (Birth–Death)
Commodore John B. Hamilton (1847–1898)
Term of office
April 3, 1879
Term of office
June 1, 1891
Term of office
12 years, 59 days
Appointed by (term)
Rutherford B. Hayes (1877–1881)
Commodore Walter Wyman (1848–1911)
Commodore Walter Wyman (1848–1911)
No.
3
Name (Birth–Death)
Commodore Walter Wyman (1848–1911)
Term of office
June 1, 1891
Term of office
November 21, 1911
Term of office
20 years, 173 days
Appointed by (term)
Benjamin Harrison (1889–1893)
Commodore Rupert Blue (1868–1948)
Commodore Rupert Blue (1868–1948)
No.
4
Name (Birth–Death)
Commodore Rupert Blue (1868–1948)
Term of office
January 13, 1912
Term of office
March 3, 1920
Term of office
8 years, 50 days
Appointed by (term)
William Howard Taft (1909–1913)
Rear Admiral Hugh S. Cumming (1869–1948)
Rear Admiral Hugh S. Cumming (1869–1948)
No.
5
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral Hugh S. Cumming (1869–1948)
Term of office
March 3, 1920
Term of office
January 31, 1936
Term of office
15 years, 334 days
Appointed by (term)
Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921)
Rear Admiral Thomas Parran (1892–1968)
Rear Admiral Thomas Parran (1892–1968)
No.
6
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral Thomas Parran (1892–1968)
Term of office
April 6, 1936
Term of office
April 6, 1948
Term of office
12 years, 0 days
Appointed by (term)
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945)
Rear Admiral Leonard A. Scheele (1907–1993)
Rear Admiral Leonard A. Scheele (1907–1993)
No.
7
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral Leonard A. Scheele (1907–1993)
Term of office
April 6, 1948
Term of office
August 8, 1956
Term of office
8 years, 124 days
Appointed by (term)
Harry S. Truman (1945–1953)
Rear Admiral Leroy E. Burney (1906–1998)
Rear Admiral Leroy E. Burney (1906–1998)
No.
8
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral Leroy E. Burney (1906–1998)
Term of office
August 8, 1956
Term of office
January 29, 1961
Term of office
4 years, 174 days
Appointed by (term)
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961)
Luther Terry (1911–1985)
Luther Terry (1911–1985)
No.
9
Name (Birth–Death)
Luther Terry (1911–1985)
Term of office
March 2, 1961
Term of office
October 1, 1965
Term of office
4 years, 213 days
Appointed by (term)
John F. Kennedy (1961–1963)
William H. Stewart (1921–2008)
William H. Stewart (1921–2008)
No.
10
Name (Birth–Death)
William H. Stewart (1921–2008)
Term of office
October 1, 1965
Term of office
August 1, 1969
Term of office
3 years, 304 days
Appointed by (term)
Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969)
Rear Admiral Richard A. Prindle (c. 1926–2001) Acting
Rear Admiral Richard A. Prindle (c. 1926–2001) Acting
No.
–
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral Richard A. Prindle (c. 1926–2001) Acting
Term of office
August 1, 1969
Term of office
December 18, 1969
Term of office
139 days
Appointed by (term)
Richard Nixon (1969–1974)
Jesse L. Steinfeld (1927–2014)
Jesse L. Steinfeld (1927–2014)
No.
11
Name (Birth–Death)
Jesse L. Steinfeld (1927–2014)
Term of office
December 18, 1969
Term of office
January 30, 1973
Term of office
3 years, 43 days
Rear Admiral S. Paul Ehrlich Jr. (1932–2005) Acting
Rear Admiral S. Paul Ehrlich Jr. (1932–2005) Acting
No.
–
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral S. Paul Ehrlich Jr. (1932–2005) Acting
Term of office
January 31, 1973
Term of office
July 13, 1977
Term of office
4 years, 163 days
Vice Admiral Julius B. Richmond (1916–2008)
Vice Admiral Julius B. Richmond (1916–2008)
No.
12
Name (Birth–Death)
Vice Admiral Julius B. Richmond (1916–2008)
Term of office
July 13, 1977
Term of office
January 20, 1981
Term of office
3 years, 191 days
Appointed by (term)
Jimmy Carter (1977–1981)
Rear Admiral John C. Greene (1936–2016) Acting
Rear Admiral John C. Greene (1936–2016) Acting
No.
–
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral John C. Greene (1936–2016) Acting
Term of office
January 21, 1981
Term of office
May 14, 1981
Term of office
113 days
Appointed by (term)
Ronald Reagan (1981–1989)
Edward Brandt Jr. (1933–2007) Acting
Edward Brandt Jr. (1933–2007) Acting
No.
–
Name (Birth–Death)
Edward Brandt Jr. (1933–2007) Acting
Term of office
May 14, 1981
Term of office
January 21, 1982
Term of office
252 days
Vice Admiral C. Everett Koop (1916–2013)
Vice Admiral C. Everett Koop (1916–2013)
No.
13
Name (Birth–Death)
Vice Admiral C. Everett Koop (1916–2013)
Term of office
January 21, 1982
Term of office
October 1, 1989
Term of office
7 years, 253 days
Admiral James O. Mason (1930–2019) Acting
Admiral James O. Mason (1930–2019) Acting
No.
–
Name (Birth–Death)
Admiral James O. Mason (1930–2019) Acting
Term of office
October 1, 1989
Term of office
March 9, 1990
Term of office
159 days
Appointed by (term)
George H. W. Bush (1989–1993)
Vice Admiral Antonia Novello (born 1944)
Vice Admiral Antonia Novello (born 1944)
No.
14
Name (Birth–Death)
Vice Admiral Antonia Novello (born 1944)
Term of office
March 9, 1990
Term of office
June 30, 1993
Term of office
3 years, 113 days
Rear Admiral Robert A. Whitney (born 1935) Acting
Rear Admiral Robert A. Whitney (born 1935) Acting
No.
–
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral Robert A. Whitney (born 1935) Acting
Term of office
July 1, 1993
Term of office
September 8, 1993
Term of office
69 days
Appointed by (term)
Bill Clinton (1993–2001)
Vice Admiral Joycelyn Elders (born 1933)
Vice Admiral Joycelyn Elders (born 1933)
No.
15
Name (Birth–Death)
Vice Admiral Joycelyn Elders (born 1933)
Term of office
September 8, 1993
Term of office
December 31, 1994
Term of office
1 year, 114 days
Rear Admiral Audrey F. Manley (born 1934) Acting
Rear Admiral Audrey F. Manley (born 1934) Acting
No.
–
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral Audrey F. Manley (born 1934) Acting
Term of office
January 1, 1995
Term of office
July 1, 1997
Term of office
2 years, 180 days
Rear Admiral J. Jarrett Clinton (1938–2023) Acting
Rear Admiral J. Jarrett Clinton (1938–2023) Acting
No.
–
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral J. Jarrett Clinton (1938–2023) Acting
Term of office
July 2, 1997
Term of office
February 12, 1998
Term of office
226 days
Admiral David Satcher (born 1941)
Admiral David Satcher (born 1941)
No.
16
Name (Birth–Death)
Admiral David Satcher (born 1941)
Term of office
February 13, 1998
Term of office
February 12, 2002
Term of office
3 years, 364 days
Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Moritsugu (born 1945) Acting
Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Moritsugu (born 1945) Acting
No.
–
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Moritsugu (born 1945) Acting
Term of office
February 13, 2002
Term of office
August 4, 2002
Term of office
172 days
Appointed by (term)
George W. Bush (2001–2009)
Vice Admiral Richard Carmona (born 1949)
Vice Admiral Richard Carmona (born 1949)
No.
17
Name (Birth–Death)
Vice Admiral Richard Carmona (born 1949)
Term of office
August 5, 2002
Term of office
July 31, 2006
Term of office
3 years, 360 days
Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Moritsugu (born 1945) Acting
Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Moritsugu (born 1945) Acting
No.
–
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Moritsugu (born 1945) Acting
Term of office
August 1, 2006
Term of office
September 30, 2007
Term of office
1 year, 60 days
Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson (born 1956) Acting
Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson (born 1956) Acting
No.
–
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson (born 1956) Acting
Term of office
October 1, 2007
Term of office
October 1, 2009
Term of office
2 years, 0 days
Rear Admiral Donald L. Weaver Acting
Rear Admiral Donald L. Weaver Acting
No.
–
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral Donald L. Weaver Acting
Term of office
October 1, 2009
Term of office
November 3, 2009
Term of office
33 days
Appointed by (term)
Barack Obama (2009–2017)
Vice Admiral Regina Benjamin (born 1956)
Vice Admiral Regina Benjamin (born 1956)
No.
18
Name (Birth–Death)
Vice Admiral Regina Benjamin (born 1956)
Term of office
November 3, 2009
Term of office
July 16, 2013
Term of office
3 years, 255 days
Rear Admiral Boris Lushniak (born 1961) Acting
Rear Admiral Boris Lushniak (born 1961) Acting
No.
–
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral Boris Lushniak (born 1961) Acting
Term of office
July 17, 2013
Term of office
December 18, 2014
Term of office
1 year, 154 days
Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy (born 1977)
Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy (born 1977)
No.
19
Name (Birth–Death)
Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy (born 1977)
Term of office
April 22, 2015
Term of office
April 21, 2017
Term of office
1 year, 364 days
Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams (born 1965) Acting
Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams (born 1965) Acting
No.
–
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams (born 1965) Acting
Term of office
April 21, 2017
Term of office
September 5, 2017
Term of office
137 days
Appointed by (term)
Donald Trump (2017–2021)
Vice Admiral Jerome Adams (born 1974)
Vice Admiral Jerome Adams (born 1974)
No.
20
Name (Birth–Death)
Vice Admiral Jerome Adams (born 1974)
Term of office
September 5, 2017
Term of office
January 20, 2021
Term of office
3 years, 137 days
Rear Admiral Susan Orsega Acting
Rear Admiral Susan Orsega Acting
No.
–
Name (Birth–Death)
Rear Admiral Susan Orsega Acting
Term of office
January 20, 2021
Term of office
March 24, 2021
Term of office
63 days
Appointed by (term)
Joe Biden (2021–2025)
Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy (born 1977)
Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy (born 1977)
No.
21
Name (Birth–Death)
Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy (born 1977)
Term of office
March 24, 2021
Term of office
January 20, 2025
Term of office
3 years, 302 days
No.
Portrait
Name (Birth–Death)
Term of office
Appointed by (term)
Ref.
Took office
Left office
Time in office
1
John M. Woodworth (1837–1879)
March 29, 1871
March 14, 1879
7 years, 350 days
Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877)
2
Commodore John B. Hamilton (1847–1898)
April 3, 1879
June 1, 1891
12 years, 59 days
Rutherford B. Hayes (1877–1881)
3
Commodore Walter Wyman (1848–1911)
June 1, 1891
November 21, 1911
20 years, 173 days
Benjamin Harrison (1889–1893)
4
Commodore Rupert Blue (1868–1948)
January 13, 1912
March 3, 1920
8 years, 50 days
William Howard Taft (1909–1913)
5
Rear Admiral Hugh S. Cumming (1869–1948)
March 3, 1920
January 31, 1936
15 years, 334 days
Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921)
6
Rear Admiral Thomas Parran (1892–1968)
April 6, 1936
April 6, 1948
12 years, 0 days
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945)
7
Rear Admiral Leonard A. Scheele (1907–1993)
April 6, 1948
August 8, 1956
8 years, 124 days
Harry S. Truman (1945–1953)
8
Rear Admiral Leroy E. Burney (1906–1998)
August 8, 1956
January 29, 1961
4 years, 174 days
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961)
9
Luther Terry (1911–1985)
March 2, 1961
October 1, 1965
4 years, 213 days
John F. Kennedy (1961–1963)
10
William H. Stewart (1921–2008)
October 1, 1965
August 1, 1969
3 years, 304 days
Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969)
–
Rear Admiral Richard A. Prindle (c. 1926–2001) Acting
August 1, 1969
December 18, 1969
139 days
Richard Nixon (1969–1974)
11
Jesse L. Steinfeld (1927–2014)
December 18, 1969
January 30, 1973
3 years, 43 days
–
Rear Admiral S. Paul Ehrlich Jr. (1932–2005) Acting
January 31, 1973
July 13, 1977
4 years, 163 days
12
Vice Admiral Julius B. Richmond (1916–2008)
July 13, 1977
January 20, 1981
3 years, 191 days
Jimmy Carter (1977–1981)
–
Rear Admiral John C. Greene (1936–2016) Acting
January 21, 1981
May 14, 1981
113 days
Ronald Reagan (1981–1989)
–
Edward Brandt Jr. (1933–2007) Acting
May 14, 1981
January 21, 1982
252 days
13
Vice Admiral C. Everett Koop (1916–2013)
January 21, 1982
October 1, 1989
7 years, 253 days
–
Admiral James O. Mason (1930–2019) Acting
October 1, 1989
March 9, 1990
159 days
George H. W. Bush (1989–1993)
14
Vice Admiral Antonia Novello (born 1944)
March 9, 1990
June 30, 1993
3 years, 113 days
–
Rear Admiral Robert A. Whitney (born 1935) Acting
July 1, 1993
September 8, 1993
69 days
Bill Clinton (1993–2001)
15
Vice Admiral Joycelyn Elders (born 1933)
September 8, 1993
December 31, 1994
1 year, 114 days
–
Rear Admiral Audrey F. Manley (born 1934) Acting
January 1, 1995
July 1, 1997
2 years, 180 days
–
Rear Admiral J. Jarrett Clinton (1938–2023) Acting
July 2, 1997
February 12, 1998
226 days
16
Admiral David Satcher (born 1941)
February 13, 1998
February 12, 2002
3 years, 364 days
–
Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Moritsugu (born 1945) Acting
February 13, 2002
August 4, 2002
172 days
George W. Bush (2001–2009)
17
Vice Admiral Richard Carmona (born 1949)
August 5, 2002
July 31, 2006
3 years, 360 days
–
Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Moritsugu (born 1945) Acting
August 1, 2006
September 30, 2007
1 year, 60 days
–
Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson (born 1956) Acting
October 1, 2007
October 1, 2009
2 years, 0 days
–
Rear Admiral Donald L. Weaver Acting
October 1, 2009
November 3, 2009
33 days
Barack Obama (2009–2017)
18
Vice Admiral Regina Benjamin (born 1956)
November 3, 2009
July 16, 2013
3 years, 255 days
–
Rear Admiral Boris Lushniak (born 1961) Acting
July 17, 2013
December 18, 2014
1 year, 154 days
19
Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy (born 1977)
April 22, 2015
April 21, 2017
1 year, 364 days
–
Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams (born 1965) Acting
April 21, 2017
September 5, 2017
137 days
Donald Trump (2017–2021)
20
Vice Admiral Jerome Adams (born 1974)
September 5, 2017
January 20, 2021
3 years, 137 days
–
Rear Admiral Susan Orsega Acting
January 20, 2021
March 24, 2021
63 days
Joe Biden (2021–2025)
21
Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy (born 1977)
March 24, 2021
January 20, 2025
3 years, 302 days

References

  1. Died in office
  2. Resigned for a teaching position at Rush Medical College.
  3. Resigned to head Warner Chilcott.
  4. Resigned for a position at the University of Pennsylvania.
  5. Reverted to the rank of vice admiral in 2001, for the remainder of his term as surgeon general, when he no longer held t
  6. HHS
    https://health.gov/about-oash/office-assistant-secretary-health-organizational-chart
  7. 42 U . § 205 - Appointment and tenure of office of Surgeon General; reversion in rank.
    https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/205
  8. 42 U . § 207 - Grades, ranks, and titles of commissioned corps.
    https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/207
  9. "Public Health, Commissioned Corps Uniforms and Ranks"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20080513175033/http://www.usphs.gov/AboutUs/uniforms.aspx
  10. R . Reynolds Tobacco Company
    https://web.archive.org/web/20170816194242/http://www.rjrt.com/tobacco-use-health/public-health-information/
  11. depts
    http://depts.washington.edu/fasdwa/legislat.htm
  12. USA Today
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/11/09/take-politics-out-of-selecting-surgeon-general-column/18772529/
  13. Julie M. Fenster Archived 2008-08-28 at the Wayback Machine "Hazardous to Your Health" American Heritage, Oct. 2006.
    http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/2006/5/2006_5_62.shtml
  14. The Surgeon General says...
    http://whyquit.com/videos/addiction2_bb64Kbps.mp3
  15. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/09/magazine/the-legacy-of-dr-koop.html
  16. Leon Dash, "Joycelyn Elders: From Sharecropper's Daughter to Surgeon General of the United States of America", Washingto
    https://archive.today/20120709115914/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1316/is_n1-2_v29/ai_19034244
  17. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/30/magazine/joycelyn-elders.html
  18. "David Satcher (1998–2002)"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20090106032351/http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/about/previous/biosatcher.htm
  19. "Previous Surgeons General"
    https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/about/previous-surgeon-generals/index.html
  20. The Philadelphia Inquirer
    https://philly.newspapers.com/newspage/167877763/
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