UNITED STATES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE 373 



Office of the Public Health Service, Kobe, Japan. 



On January 13, 1912, the Senate confirmed the President's appoint- 

 ment of Dr. Rupert Blue to succeed the late Dr. Wyman as surgeon- 

 general. Dr. Blue is a comparatively young man, but comes to this 

 responsible post well prepared and with prospects bright for an admin- 

 istration strongly conducive toward maintaining the present high 

 standard of the Public Health Service in personnel and efficiency, and 

 increasing its prestige and value to the nation. 



Dr. Blue was born in South Carolina in 1868, graduated from the 

 University of Maryland in 1892, and was commissioned an assistant 

 surgeon in the Marine Hospital Service the following year, after serving 

 an interneship in a Marine Hospital. Four years later he passed the 

 examination for passed assistant surgeon. He attained the rank of 

 surgeon on May 1, 1909. His first eight years in the service were 

 spent in the usual round of routine duties at various points in the 

 United States. In 1903-04 Dr. Blue was detailed as executive officer 

 under Surgeon Joseph H. White, who was in charge of the operations 

 directed toward the eradication of bubonic plague in San Francisco. 

 The following year he assisted in the suppression of yellow fever in 

 New Orleans. At the Jamestown Exposition in 1907 Dr. Blue was 

 made director of sanitation and showed ability above the ordinary in 

 organization and in reconciling the various interests represented at the 

 exposition and making a conspicuous success of its sanitation. He 



