William Foege

William Foege, MD, MPH is an American epidemiologist who had worked extensively with smallpox, particularly its control in Nigeria. He was born in Decorah, a small town in Iowa on March 12, 1936. His father was a Lutheran minister in Eldorado, IA at the time of his birth. The family moved to Chewelah, WA when William was 10 years of age. In his younger days he was inspired by Albert Schweitzer and by his uncle, Rev. Henry Foege, a pioneer Lutheran missionary to Papua New Guinea. He graduated from Pacific Lutheran University, completed his M.D. at the University of Washington and his Master's degree in public health from Harvard University. In 1977 he was appointed director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.