About this Collection

Fred L. Soper (1893-1977) was an American epidemiologist and public health administrator who won a Lasker Award in 1946 for organizing successful campaigns to eradicate yellow fever and malaria between 1927 and 1945. He also made key contributions to the control of typhus fever during World War II, and served as director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau, (executive agency of the Pan American Health Organization) from 1947 to 1959. Throughout his career, he set new standards for disease control worldwide. The National Library of Medicine is the repository for the Fred L. Soper Papers, which range from 1919 to 1975. The collection contains awards, diaries, correspondence, unpublished manuscripts, reprints and printed matter, photographs, and reports.

As part of its Profiles in Science project, the National Library of Medicine has made available online a digitized selection of the Fred L. Soper Papers. This website provides access to the portions of the Fred L. Soper Papers that are now publicly available. Individuals interested in conducting research using the full collection of Fred L. Soper Papers should contact the National Library of Medicine.

This Profile is designed to introduce you to the various phases of Soper's scientific career and professional life. Narrative sections available from the navigation bar under "The Story" focus on Soper's life and major scientific contributions to public health.

Researchers can search the digitized items using the Search box or browse all Documents and Visuals in the collection by selecting "Collection Items" from the navigation bar.