C. Everett Koop, MD: 1916-2013

C. Everett Koop, who served as U.S. Surgeon General from 1982 through 1989, died yesterday and his life of public service is rightly noted. To make his point and improve the health of all Americans, Dr. Koop took the unprecedented step of holding up a condom during testimony before Congress on preventing AIDS transmission, sent a guide on AIDS prevention and treatment to every household in America in 1987 and was the first Surgeon General to issue a report on the dangers of secondhand smoke.

In a statement released yesterday, Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids calls Dr. Koop, “absolutely committed to using his position to improve the public health and save lives.”

>>Bonus Links:

• Watch a video interview with Dr. Koop about preventing AIDS transmission.
• View a compilation of tributes to Dr. Koop from APHA's Public Health Newswire.

This commentary originally appeared on the RWJF New Public Health blog.