The Surgeon General, in coordination with the Office of the Surgeon General, oversees the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, one of the seven uniformed services in America. The Surgeon General serves as the highest ranking officer in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, holding the rank of a three-star vice admiral. In the event of a public health emergency, the Surgeon General can dispatch this Commissioned Corps.

Another one of the major duties of the Surgeon General, and the one people are most familiar with, is the role as educator. The Surgeon General takes on the task of educating the American public about issues of disease, injury, and health. The most well known example of this can be found on the back of cigarette packages and alcohol packaging, where you will find the Surgeon General’s warning.

How the Surgeon General is Selected

The President of the United States nominates someone to serve a four year term as the Surgeon General. This individual must then be confirmed with a majority vote from the US Senate. The selection of the Surgeon General is often a long and drawn out process. The President needs to be sure that the person selected is capable of doing the job and has a strong desire to fill the position.

List of Previous Surgeon Generals

John Maynard Woodworth (March 29, 1871-March 14, 1879)
John B. Hamilton (April 3, 1879-June 1, 1891)
Walter Wyman (June 1, 1891-November, 21 1911)
Rupert Blue (January 13, 1912-March 3, 1920)
Hugh S. Cumming (March 3, 1920-January 31, 1936)
Thomas Parran, Jr. (April 6, 1936-April 6, 1948)
Leonard A. Scheele (April 6, 1948-August 8, 1956)
LeRoy Edgar Burney (August 1, 1956-January, 29 1961)
Luther Leonidas Terry (March 2, 1961-October 1, 1965)
William H. Stewart (October 1, 1965-August 1, 1969)
Jesse Leonard Steinfeld (December 18. 1969-June 30, 1973)
Paul Ehrlich, Jr. (July, 1 1973-July 13, 1977)
Julius B. Richmond (July 13, 1977-May 14, 1981)
Edward Brandt, Jr. (May 14, 1981-January 21, 1982)
C. Everett Koop (January 21, 1982-October 1, 1989)
James O. Mason (October 1, 1989-March 9, 1990)
Antonia Coello Novello (March 9, 1990-June, 30 1993)
Robert A. Whitney (July 1, 1993-September 8, 1993)
Joycelyn Elders (September 8, 1993-December 31, 1994)
Audrey F. Manley (January 1, 1995-July 1, 1997)
David Satcher (February 13, 1998-February 12. 2002)
Kenneth P. Moritsugu (February 13, 2002-August 4, 2002)
Richard Carmona (August 5, 2002-July 31, 2006)
Kenneth P. Moritsugu (August 1, 2006-September 30, 2007)
Steven K. Galson (October 1, 2007-Present)