David Satcher (born 1941) is an American physician and public health administrator who served as the 10th Surgeon General of the United States from 1998 to 2002. Satcher is the only person to have held both positions concurrently. He is currently a Distinguished Professor of Health Policy and Management at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.
Satcher was born in Anniston, Alabama, the son of a sharecropper. He earned his undergraduate degree from Tuskegee University in 1963 and his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1967. After completing an internship and residency in internal medicine, he served as a faculty member at the University of Alabama School of Medicine from 1969 to 1977.
Satcher joined the faculty of the University of California, Los Angeles in 1977, where he taught and conducted research in primary care and medical education. In 1981, he was appointed director of the Charles R. Drew Postgraduate Medical School in Los Angeles, where he served until 1983.
In 1983, Satcher was appointed the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by President Ronald Reagan. At the CDC, Satcher focused on building the agency's capacity to respond to health emergencies, as well as increasing its research efforts into the prevention of chronic diseases.
In 1993, Satcher was appointed to the position of Assistant Secretary for Health in the Department of Health and Human Services by President Bill Clinton. In this role, Satcher was responsible for the oversight of the nation's public health system. He also served as the chair of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee and the President's Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry.
In 1998, Satcher was appointed by President Clinton to serve as the 10th Surgeon General of the United States. As Surgeon General, Satcher addressed issues such as smoking, obesity, mental health, and violence prevention. He also launched the Healthy People Initiative, which set national goals for improving health in the United States.
After his tenure as Surgeon General, Satcher returned to Morehouse School of Medicine, where he has served in various capacities since 2002, including as president of the school from 2006 to 2016. He has also served as a senior advisor on public health and health policy for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In 2016, Satcher was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Satcher has been a tireless advocate for public health and improving the nation’s health. Throughout his career, he has
