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NEHA Past President Monroe T. Morgan, Sr., DrPH, RS

Presidential Term: 1974–1975

NEHA was saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Monroe T. Morgan, Sr. in fall 2020. Dr. Morgan served as president of NEHA from 1974–1975 and was the recipient of the Walter S. Mangold Award, NEHA's highest honor, in 1979.

Dr. Morgan received an associate degree from Mars Hill College, a bachelor degree from East Tennessee State College, a master of science in public health from the University of North Carolina, and doctor of public health from Tulane University. He served 4 years in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone. Dr. Morgan was employed at East Tennessee State University (ESTU) from 1963 until he retired in 1999. He was the founding professor and chairman of the Department of Environmental Health. He developed the first bachelor and master of science in environmental health degrees to be professionally accredited in the U.S. He was very proud of the fact that he recruited students from 56 countries, as well as from all across the U.S. He also developed contracts to recruit U.S. Army students to receive environmental health bachelor degrees allowing many U.S. Army health science officers to be ETSU graduates.

Dr. Morgan served as consultant to several organizations: the National Academy of Science, National Institutes of Health, American Medical Association, Agency for International Development, Caribbean Community and World Health Organization. He was also consultant to several universities to help develop environmental health departments. For several years, he served as a member of the Public Health Review Committee of the National Institute of Health to conduct site visits of schools of public health to determine qualification for public health trainerships and special project grants. He also served on a committee tasked with the reorganization of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which enable the agency to better meet the needs of the U.S. for environmental protection.

Dr. Morgan was the author of the textbook, Environmental Health, which was used as support text at several universities in the U.S. and foreign countries, as well as a recommended study reference for NEHA's Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian credential. He also presented research and position papers at many local, state, national, and international organizations.

Dr. Morgan had been retired almost 20 years and during that period of time he was an environmental health consultant to the Jimmy Carter Center, U.S. Aid, and the Agency for the International Development Public Health Service. He enjoyed traveling, spending time with family and friends, and attending Central Community Christian Church.

Memorial contributions can be made to the ETSU Dr. M.T. Morgan, Sr. Scholarship for Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Health, P.O. Box 70682, Johnson City, Tennessee, 37614.

President's Message Columns From the Journal of Environmental Health