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 Chewelah, a small town in Washington state. His father was a Lutheran minister. In his younger days he was inspired by Albert Schweitzer. 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.