This Day in History: 1877-02-04

C.E.A. Winslow, a bacteriologist and major figure in the history of public health, is born this day in 1877. Winslow helped found the Yale University school of public health and built momentum for a widespread research effort into sanitation in the US and Europe. He was also a leading committee member on the US Surgeon General’s investigative committee into leaded gasoline in 1925. In the hearings in May, 1925, Ethyl, General Motors and Standard Oil (Exxon) officials falsely claimed that there were no alternatives to leaded gasoline. Winslow insisted that a list of alternatives be included in the Surgeon General’s final report on leaded gasoline in January, 1926. The committee ignored him, and bowing to industry pressure, gave leaded gasoline a “clean bill of health” without any reference to alternatives.