Smallpox Hero William Foege Dies at 89, Saved Millions

A man who helped save more lives than almost anyone in history passed away last Saturday, leaving behind a world forever changed by his compassion and brilliance.

William "Bill" Foege, the 6'7" public health champion who shepherded the global effort to eradicate smallpox, died at age 89. His innovative strategies helped eliminate a disease that had killed an estimated 300 million people in the 20th century alone.

Foege served as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1977 to 1983, but his impact stretched far beyond those years. He spent 23 years with the agency, trained countless public health workers, and later advised President Jimmy Carter's humanitarian work and the Gates Foundation's global health initiatives.

"Bill was a towering figure in global health, a man who saved the lives of literally hundreds of millions of people," said Bill Gates, who considered Foege a friend and mentor. Gates credits Foege with inspiring his own commitment to fighting disease worldwide.

What made Foege truly remarkable wasn't just his genius, but his humility. Colleagues remember him as someone who deflected credit, lifted others up, and approached even the toughest challenges with wit and warmth.

"He was very visionary and very humble. Very funny. Extremely witty, very clever, but also collegial," recalled Anne Schuchat, a longtime CDC official. David Heymann, who worked under Foege during the smallpox campaign in India, put it simply: "If the world had leaders like Bill Foege today, we would have a much better world."

Foege didn't just save lives in the past. He helped create the infrastructure and train the people who continue saving lives today. He founded the Task Force for Global Health, served as the first executive director of the Carter Center, and mentored leaders like Tom Frieden, who directed the CDC under President Obama.

Why This Inspires

Foege believed deeply in optimism as a practical tool. He taught his protégés that pessimism disappoints you twice: once when you expect the worst, and again when it happens. Optimism, he said, only disappoints once.

That optimistic spirit powered his life's work. Even as he watched recent threats to public health infrastructure with concern, Foege kept his eyes on what had been accomplished: millions of children alive because of vaccines, trained professionals carrying forward the mission, and a world measurably better than the one he entered.

His close friend Mark Rosenberg said Foege found comfort in thinking about all the lives already saved and all the people committed to "becoming better ancestors," Foege's phrase for leaving the world improved for future generations.

The smallpox eradication campaign proved that humanity could work together to solve seemingly impossible problems. Foege showed us how.