The Passing of a Public Health Giant

Yesterday, the New York Times noted the passing of a truly impressive civil servant: William H. Stewart, who served as surgeon general in the Johnson administration. That was at a time, the paper noted, that the position was very different than it is now -- for example, it involved day-to-day oversight of the Public Health Service.

Stewart, who had joined the PHS in 1951, pressed for the integration of the agency as surgeon general, and used the then-new Medicare program as a wedge to force hospitals around the country to integrate, too. On top of that, he was responsible for the first health warnings on cigarette packs.

As Stewart's official biography indicates, he led PHS at a time of "dramatic changes" leading to "cycles of administrative upheaval." That included two major structural reorganizations during an "era characterized by ... complicated bureaucratic maneuvering, increased public involvement, and renewed efforts to control federal health expenditures." Stewart resigned his post midway through President Nixon's first year in office.