Charles C. Shepard (December 18, 1914 – February 18, 1985) was a

microbiologist A microbiologist (from Ancient Greek, Greek ) is a scientist who studies microscopic life forms and processes. This includes study of the growth, interactions and characteristics of Microorganism, microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae, f ...

, and former director of the Centers for Disease Control’s Laboratory Division. It was the diligent efforts of Shepard, and cohort microbiologist Joseph McDade, which led to the 1977 discovery of the initially elusive bacterium ''

Legionella pneumophila ''Legionella pneumophila'' is a thin, aerobic, pleomorphic, flagellated, non-spore-forming, Gram-negative bacterium of the genus ''Legionella''. ''L. pneumophila'' is the primary human pathogenic bacterium in this group and is the causative age ...

'', the etiologic agent that causes ‘

Legionnaires The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, cavalry, engineers, airborne troops. It was created in 1831 to allow foreign nationals into the French Army. It ...

' disease’. In 1963, he was presented with the

Gorgas Medal The Gorgas Medal was originally established as an annual award in 1915 by the Medical Reserve Corps Association of New York in honor of Surgeon General William C. Gorgas, U.S. Army. The award was based on a writing competition open to members of ...

from the

Association of Military Surgeons of the United States Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

(AMSUS). Shepard was chief of the Leprosy and Rickettsia Branch at CDC for more than 30 years, until his death on February 18, 1985. Each year the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...

(CDC) and the

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is a federal public health agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The agency focuses on minimizing human health risks associated with exposure to haza ...

(ATSDR) present the Charles C. Shepard Science Awards to the authors of the most outstanding peer-reviewed research papers published by CDC/ATSDR scientists.

Early life and education

He was born in Ord, Nebraska, on December 18, 1914. He attended

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

(1932–1935) and then transferred to

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

, where he received B.S., M.S., and M.D. degrees ''This article incorporates public domain text from the CDC website, under CDC PHIL image 10136.''

References

External links

Charles C. Shepard Papers at Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library, Historical Collections, Emory University
American microbiologists People from Ord, Nebraska Stanford University alumni Northwestern University alumni Feinberg School of Medicine alumni 1914 births 1985 deaths {{US-scientist-stub