When asked to share his life philosophy with staff of the Task Force for Global Health in a 2018 interview, Bill Foege stated: “If you want to do important things, you work on important problems.” Clearly, he did just that. In doing so, he personified the role of a “public health trailblazer” in that he repeatedly saw the destination (“the last mile”) and then blazed a trail to reach the end of the journey. Further, he inspired others to follow that trail toward the destination, often in the face of formidable obstacles. As others have noted in their eloquent tributes to Bill Foege, “he made the impossible seem achievable.” He is one for whom the statement, “never underestimate the difference a single individual can make,” is most fitting. As we reflect on the legacy of Dr. Foege who passed on recently, his role as a public health trailblazer deserves our attention.

His ability to see what others were not often able to see was one of his signature leadership skills. For example, he visualized the eradication of smallpox, crafted a strategy leading to that end, and stood side by side with the “smallpox warriors” as they followed his lead. As CDC Director, he saw that the future mission of CDC needed to expand beyond a focus on communicable disease to encompass a wider range of health threats. Later, he visualized the potential of the Gates Foundation to serve as a major force in global health long before others realized that the Foundation even existed; he then worked behind the scenes to influence and inspire the founders of the Foundation to pursue a global health mission.

In founding the Task Force for Global Health, Bill saw the unique need for the organization. Further, he articulated the philosophical foundation that has informed the pioneering work of the Task Force for over 40 years. As Dave Ross and Patrick O’Carroll, who have served as CEOs of the Task Force, expressed so clearly, Bill’s legacy is “one of deep caring for the well-being of all of humanity.” As Carter Center Executive Director, he provided leadership in the eradication of Guinea Worm disease — soon to be the second disease eradicated from the face of the earth.

Along the way, he shared his wisdom with all of us in the public health field through his books, and his lectures, and simply by offering a voice of moral clarity which we so need in these troubled times. He did so with a sense of certainty (based on deep reflection, study, and lived experience) that was infectious to all of us who were privileged to know him. And knowing Bill Foege was indeed a true pleasure. Moreover, for those who did not know him personally, his stature, presence, and eloquence made all of us who work in the field stand taller. He was someone to emulate, a true public health hero, in a time now when that word is so overused. We will miss him greatly.

It has been said that we may not recall exactly what someone said, but we will recall how they made us feel. In Bill’s case, we will actually recall what he said as well as how he made us feel. Although he has passed on, we can still feel his presence – one full of warmth, wit, and wisdom. His relentless determination in the face of daunting challenges will continue to inspire us as we strive to follow the trail he blazed.

In the future, when confronted with a challenging dilemma or decision, we might ask a simple question: “What would Bill Foege do?” As we do so, his inspiring presence will remain with us for years to come. We are better human beings for having known Bill Foege. And as better human beings, the humanity of the world has been made better.

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Edward L. Baker MD, MPH, currently serves as Adjunct Professor at UNC, Harvard, and Indiana University schools of public health. Previously, he served as Director of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health at UNC, Assistant Surgeon General in the US Public Health Service, Director of CDC’s Public Heath Practice Program Office, Deputy Director of NIOSH, and Associate Professor of Occupational Health at Harvard.

Paul C. Erwin, MD, DrPH, is Dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Erwin earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of the South (Sewanee), his medical degree from the UAB School of Medicine, a master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University, and a doctorate in public health from the University of North Carolina. He is board certified in internal medicine, and public health and preventive medicine, and is a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine.