Albert Lasker
Public Service Award
Felix Underwood
For demonstrating how a long-sustained, sound and expanding pattern of health services benefits a people.
For more than three decades, Felix Underwood has demonstrated how a state health official can soundly build an expanding health service for the people of a state. Under his aegis, Mississippi has extended the concept of public health from the control of epidemics to a modern concept embracing the promotion of health as well as the prevention of disease.
As an administrator, Dr. Underwood sought and received help from the medical profession, health workers of all kinds, political leaders, private foundations, and private citizens to produce a steady stream of accomplishments—county health units, child guidance clinics, supervision and training of midwives, unique programs for rural medical education, a new state medical school, a model hospital and health center survey and construction program, broad health education, mental health and service programs for workers and children—including education for responsible parenthood—and activities designed to control cancer and heart disease.
Earle Phelps
In recognition of a lifetime of pioneering leadership in public health and sanitary science.
Earl Bernard Phelps (1876–1953), born in Galesburg, Illinois, professionally trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a dedicated student of William T. Sedgwick, gave a lifetime in exploring, discovering, teaching and applying natural sciences to save mankind from the hazards of biological, physical and chemical factors of environment. A gifted teacher, he shared generously his wealth of knowledge and experience with a multitude of associates and students.
He was bacteriologist with the Massachusetts State Department of Health at the Lawrence Experiment Station for four years. He was for 15 years in the Sanitary Research Laboratory at his Alma Mater, the last five of these as associate professor. He was for five years with the U.S. Geologic Survey, and at the Hygienic Laboratory of the U.S. Public Health Service for six years.
Then he became Professor of Sanitary Science at Columbia University for 18 years until his retirement in 1943, after which he was a research engineer at the University of Florida at Gainesville until his death. His major contributions to the science and practice of public health were in water chlorination, stream pollution indices, sewage treatment and disposal, aerial sanitation, milk pasteurization and reconstruction, and shellfish control.
His Public Health Engineering volume is an educational classic. Charming modesty marked Earle Phelps's life of distinction.