GORGAS, WILLIAM CRAWFORD, an American physician; born at Mobile, Ala., Oct. 3, 1854. He graduated from the University of the South, in 1875, re ceived the degree of M. D. from the Belle vue Hospital Medical College in 1879, and served as interne at Bellevue Hospi tal 1878-1880. Appointed a surgeon in the United States Army in 1880, he rose successively through the ranks of cap tain, assistant surgeon, major brigade surgeon of volunteers, and became chief sanitary officer of Havana, Cuba, in 1898. He continued in charge of sanitary administration at Havana until 1902. and by his efficient methods of direction and control in the fight against the yellow fever he finally accomplished the prac tical elimination of that disease from the port of Havana. Congress, by special act, Mar. 9, 1903, made him colonel as sistant surgeon-general in recognition of his successful campaign against the yellow fever plague. He was subse quently honored by the University of Pennsylvania; and the University of the South, Harvard, and Brown University with honorary degrees in acknowledg ment of the extraordinary merit of his achievements. In 1914 he was made surgeon-general, U. S. A., with rank of brigadier-general, and was advanced to major-general in 1915. He retired from
the service in 1918, and became director of the division of yellow fever research of the Rockefeller Foundation, having previously become a permanent director of its International Health Board. As chief sanitary officer (1904) in connec tion with the building operations of the PANAMA CANAL (q. v.), he did his most distinguished public work, and brought to a successful sanitary issue the difficult task of cleaning up the fever-infested isthmian territory. His work made pos sible the maintenance of the high record of industrial efficiency which was a large factor in contributing to the rapid com pletion of the canal. In 1907 he became a member of the Isthmian Canal Com mission. He was honored by some of the most exceptional national and foreign awards for scientific achievement, and was a member of many domestic and foreign scientific societies. He died in London, England, July 4, 1920, when about to depart on a mission to west Africa in behalf of the British Govern ment to investigate sanitary conditions.