Stephen Smith (February 19, 1823 – August 27, 1922) was an American surgeon and a pioneer in

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

Biography

He was born on February 19, 1823 in

Skaneateles, New York Skaneateles ( , ) is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 7,112 at the 2020 census. The name is from the Iroquois term for the adjacent ''Skaneateles'' Lake, which means "long lake." The town is on the western ...

. His father was a cavalry officer in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. Smith was an active proponent of the

Metropolitan Health Bill The Metropolitan Health Bill was the first bill in the New York state which put legal grounds for comprehensive control of sanitary conditions in the cities.Comments to ''Harper's Weekly'' Cartoon of the Mont“The Hygiene of New York City”/ref> ...

. He led the establishment of the

Metropolitan Board of Health The New York City Metropolitan Board of Health was the first modern municipal public health authority in the United States. It was founded in 1866 by the New York City Common Council at a suggestion by the New York Academy of Medicine, following a c ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in 1866, the first such public health agency in the United States. In 1875, he was elected as a member to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

. He later founded the American Public Health Association. He died on August 27, 1922. The Stephen Smith Medal, for distinguished contributions in public health was created in his honor.

References

External links

Biography at New York City government web site

Letter from Smith following the founding of the APHA

* 1823 births 1922 deaths American surgeons American public health doctors Healthcare in New York City New York University Grossman School of Medicine alumni People from Skaneateles, New York New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene {{US-physician-stub