In our present national climate, wherein the art of speaking out clearly, forthrightly, and intelligently by public officials is seemingly diminishing, the Surgeon General of the United States C. Everett Koop, proclaims unambiguous messages.
Latest in a long line of Cosmos Club members who have held this title, Dr. Koop, a pediatric surgeon, became Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service in 1981. In that position, his responsibility to advise the public on health matters is mandatory, and he has carried out this duty in an exemplary fashion.
He has, along with colleagues in the National Institutes of Health, established and proclaimed the hazards of AIDS at a time when many public officials refused even to mention the word. Likewise, he has described the medical sequelae of various drugs. He has clearly defined the danger of alcohol as an addictive drug. He has emphasized the problems related to intensive smoking, despite pressures from the industry to temper his language.
In all of these areas he has carried out that responsibility of his office related to the public weal. By being outstandingly forthright, he has used his knowledge to explain the meaning, to the individual, of these toxic substances and the consequences of their misuse.
Our Award complements numerous honors which he has received world wide, many of these noting that, when he has supported a controversial position, he has also tested it with diligence and circumspection.
Members of the Cosmos Club are known for their zeal in improving the quality of life for all citizens. It is appropriate, therefore, that we honor one of our members who continually and bravely attempts to stimulate, through public advice, changes in our life styles towards a more healthful outcome.
He speaks from knowledge; he does not hide his concerns about the health of all; and though he may at times make many of us uncomfortable with his strong statements, he points the way for both policy makers and private citizens to be positive forces for our own well being.
He is worthy of the acclaim of his countrymen and of the members of this Club.
