Stewart, William Huffman

▪ 2009

      American government official and physician

born May 19, 1921, Minneapolis, Minn.

died April 23, 2008, New Orleans, La.

was in the vanguard of U.S. health policy while serving (1965–69) as the U.S. surgeon general. During his tenure Stewart oversaw the implementation of Medicare and Medicaid, two U.S. government programs created to guarantee health insurance for the elderly and the poor, respectively. They were formally enacted in 1965 as amendments to the Social Security Act (1935) and went into effect in 1966. Stewart's three-part report “Health Consequences of Smoking” (1967–69) was instrumental in changing public attitudes about smoking. He was the first surgeon general to issue health warnings on cigarette packs (1966), cautioned that air pollution was a contributor to lung disease, and raised concerns about the psychological effects of violent television. Stewart, a pediatrician and an epidemiologist, returned to his alma mater, Louisiana State University, after resigning as surgeon general.

* * *