Donald A. Henderson, director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will give a speech titled “Smallpox: The Death and Resurrection of a Virus,” at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 20 in McCrary Theatre on the campus of Elon University. His speech, which is free and open to the public, is part of the Voices of Discovery Science Speaker Series, sponsored by the departments of Science and Mathematics.
Henderson is responsible for coordinating the United States’ national response to public health emergencies. A leader in the fight against smallpox, Henderson directed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global smallpox eradication campaign from 1966-1977. The last recorded case of smallpox by natural infection was in 1977, and the WHO declared smallpox eradicated in 1980. Henderson also founded the WHO Expanded Program on Immunization, which provides six vaccines to children throughout the world.
He received the National Medal of Science from President Reagan in 1986, and is also the recipient of the National Academy of Sciences Public Welfare Medal.
Henderson served as director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies from 1998-2001. He is on leave as a Johns Hopkins Distinguished Service Professor.