MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM C. GORGAS, M.C., U.S.A. 305 



work done by the division of tuberculosis in the Surgeon General's 

 Office has already been referred to in detail. 



General Gorgas showed his wisdom and interest in the tubercu- 

 losis problem of the army by appointing Colonel Bushnell to the 

 task of looking after that disease and in seeing to it that no inter- 

 ference was placed in his way. It is characteristic of General 

 Gorgas that, having selected the men that he needed, he left them 

 alone in the confidence that they would do the right thing and 

 without the wish to add to his own renown by taking credit for 

 what was accomplished. 



In recognition of General Gorgas' service to medical science and 

 to humanity at large, many honors were conferred upon him. He 

 was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal of the United 

 States and was made Commander of the Legion of Honor of 

 France; he was knighted by King George of England and dec- 

 orated by King Albert of Belgium, as well as by rulers of other 

 foreign countries. Honorary degrees were conferred on him by 

 the University of Pennsylvania, the University of the South, the 

 University of Alabama, and by Harvard, Brown, Tulane, Johns 

 Hopkins, Oxford, Lima, and other universities. His alma mater, 

 now the New York University and Bellevue Hospital Medical 

 College, conferred on him the degree of LL.D. in June, 1918, in 

 the midst of the great war. A brilliant assembly gathered in the 

 amphitheater of the college to pay homage to their distinguished 

 fellow alumnus. The gathering was largely composed of physicians 

 training for or already active in war work. At the conclusion of 

 the ceremonies which conferred the degree of LL.D. upon William 

 Crawford Gorgas, the General responded in felicitous terms 

 thanking the faculty for the honor conferred upon him. He then 

 took occasion to express his appreciation of the willingness of the 

 American medical profession to do its duty in the great war. 

 He congratulated those present on having the privilege of serving 

 their country in an hour of greatest need, bidding them an 

 affectionate God speed. He concluded by saying that he hoped 

 soon to meet many of their number in France, for which country 

 he was about to sail with Secretary of War Baker. In addition 

 to the just mentioned honors conferred on General Gorgas, he 

 was awarded the Mary Kingsley medal from Liverpool School of 

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