List of United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps three-star admirals

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Flag of a U.S. Public Health Service vice admiral (surgeon general)

This is a complete list of three-star admirals in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. The rank of vice admiral (or three-star admiral), ranks above rear admiral (two-star admiral) and below admiral (full admiral, or four-star admiral) in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

There have been 12 vice admirals in the history of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Of these, 9 achieved that rank while on active duty and 3 were promoted upon retirement in recognition of meritorious service. All 12 were directly commissioned into the regular corps, with 10 commissioned into the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (direct) and 2 commissioned into its predecessor, the Marine Hospital Service (MHS). 8 were originally civilians who were appointed to the regular corps and to grade upon taking office, 3 were active duty officers appointed to grade after leaving office, and one was a civilian appointed to the regular corps at four-star rank upon initial assumption of office.

List of admirals[]

All admirals in this list are indexed by the numerical order in which each officer was promoted to that rank, or by an asterisk (*) if the officer did not serve in that rank while on active duty in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps or was promoted to four-star rank while on active duty in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. The date listed is that of the officer's first promotion to vice admiral, and may differ from the officer's entry in the U.S. Public Health Service register. The year commissioned is taken to be the year the officer was directly commissioned which may precede the officer's actual date of commission by up to two years. Each entry lists the admiral's name, date of rank, active-duty position held while serving at three-star rank,[1] number of years of active-duty service at three-star rank (Yrs),[2] year commissioned and source of commission,[3] number of years in commission when promoted to three-star rank (YC),[4] and other biographical notes.[5]

The list is sortable by last name, date of rank, number of years of active-duty service at three-star rank, year commissioned, and number of years in commission when promoted to three-star rank.

List of U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps three-star admirals
# Name Photo Date of rank Position [1] Yrs [2] Commission [3] YC [4] Notes [5]
1 Julius B. Richmond Julius Richmond, Surgeon General official photo.jpg 13 Jul 1977  4 1977 (direct) 0 (1916–2008) Director, Head Start, 1965–1967.[6]
2 C. Everett Koop C. Everett Koop, 1980s.jpg 21 Jan 1982  7 1982 (direct) 0 (1916–2013) Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, 1981–1982.
3 Antonia C. Novello VADM Antonia Novello.jpg 9 Mar 1990  3 1990 (direct) 0 (1944–        ) Commissioner, New York State Department of Health, 1999–2006. First woman to serve as Surgeon General.
4 Joycelyn Elders Joycelyn Elders official photo portrait.jpg 8 Sep 1993  1 1993 (direct) 0 (1933–        ) Resigned, 1994. Director, Arkansas Department of Health, 1979–1981. First African American to be Surgeon General.
5 David Satcher VADM David Satcher.jpg 20 Jan 2001  1 1998 (direct) 3 (1941–        )[7] Assistant Secretary for Health, 1998–2001.
6 Richard H. Carmona Richard carmona.jpg 5 Aug 2002  4 2002 (direct) 0 (1949–        ) Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Arizona, 2012.
7 Regina M. Benjamin Regina Benjamin official portrait.jpg 3 Nov 2009  4 2009 (direct) 0 (1956–        )
8 Vivek H. Murthy Vivek Murthy, Surgeon General (profile).jpg 18 Dec 2014  4 2014 (direct) 0 (1977–        ) Co-Chair, COVID-19 Advisory Board, 2020–2021. First surgeon general of Indian descent; and first to serve two nonconsecutive terms.
9 Jerome M. Adams Jerome Adams 2019.jpg 5 Sep 2017  4 2017 (direct) 0 (1974–        ) Health Commissioner of Indiana, 2014–2017.

Tombstone admirals[]

The Act of Congress of March 4, 1925, allowed officers in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard to be promoted one grade upon retirement if they had been specially commended for performance of duty in actual combat. Combat citation promotions were colloquially known as "tombstone promotions" because they conferred the prestige of the higher rank but not the additional retirement pay, so their only practical benefit was to allow recipients to engrave a loftier title on their business cards and tombstones. The Act of Congress of February 23, 1942, enabled tombstone promotions to three- and four-star grades. Tombstone promotions were subsequently restricted to citations issued before January 1, 1947, and finally eliminated altogether effective November 1, 1959.

Any vice admiral who actually served in a grade while on active duty receives precedence on the retired list over any tombstone vice admiral holding the same retired grade. Tombstone admirals rank among each other according to the dates of their highest active duty grade.

The following list of tombstone vice admirals is sortable by last name, date of rank as rear admiral, date appointed as vice admiral, and year commissioned.

List of U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps tombstone vice admirals
# Name Photo Date of rank (RADM) Date of rank (VADM) Commission Notes
1 Rupert Blue Rupert Blue 3.jpg 13 Jan 1912  1942  1893 (MHS) (1868–1948) Surgeon General (SG), 1912–1920.
2 Hugh S. Cumming Sr. Hugh S. Cumming.jpg 3 Mar 1920  31 Jan 1936  1894 (MHS) (1869–1948) Surgeon General (SG), 1920–1936; Director, Pan American Sanitary Bureau, 1920–1947. Father of diplomat Hugh S. Cumming Jr.
3 Thomas Parran Jr. Thomas Parran, Jr., photo portrait as surgeon general.jpg 6 Apr 1936  1 Oct 1948  1936 (direct) (1892–1968) Surgeon General (SG), 1936–1948; Dean, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, 1948–1958.

Timeline[]

1970 - present[]

Jerome M. AdamsVivek H. MurthyRegina M. BenjaminRichard H. CarmonaDavid SatcherJocelyn EldersAntonia C. NovelloC. Everett KoopJulius B. Richmond

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Positions listed are those held by the officer when promoted to vice admiral. Dates listed are for the officer's full tenure, which may predate promotion to three-star rank or postdate retirement from active duty.
  2. ^ a b The number of years of active-duty service at three-star rank is approximated by subtracting the year in the "Date of rank" column from the last year in the "Position" column. Time spent between active-duty three-star assignments is not counted.
  3. ^ a b Sources of commission are listed in parentheses after the year of commission and include direct commission (direct) and the Marine Hospital Service (MHS).
  4. ^ a b The number of years in commission before being promoted to three-star rank is approximated by subtracting the year in the "Commission" column from the year in the "Date of rank" column.
  5. ^ a b Notes include years of birth and death; awards of the Congressional Gold Medal, Presidential Medal of Freedom, or honors of similar significance; major government appointments; university presidencies or equivalents; familial relationships with significant military officers or government officials such as U.S. Presidents, cabinet secretaries, U.S. Senators, or state governors; and unusual career events such as premature dismissal or death in office.
  6. ^ Weber, Bruce (July 30, 2008). "Dr. Julius Richmond, Who Led Head Start and Battled Tobacco, Dies at 91". The New York Times.
  7. ^ Commissioned as admiral, Feb 1998; retired as vice admiral, 12 Feb 2002.
  8. ^ Diamond, Dan (March 21, 2021). "Senate confirms Vivek H. Murthy as surgeon general". The Washington Post.

Additional sources[]

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