Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders has long led the vanguard for sexual health.
The child of Southern sharecroppers, Dr. Elders grew up at the intersection of rural life, poverty, and stark health disparities. After serving in the U.S. Army, she obtained both her MD and a master's degree in biochemistry, pursuing pediatric endocrinology.
While a faculty member at the University of Arkansas Medical School, she was appointed Director of the Arkansas Department of Health, where she succeeded in reducing the teen pregnancy rate, increasing child health screenings and immunizations, and improving access to HIV testing and counseling.
Since her appointment by President Clinton as U.S. Surgeon General in 1993, Dr. Elders has been known as an outspoken champion for sexual health education and research.
As part of her legacy, she is helping to establish the Joycelyn Elders Chair of Equity, Justice, and Rights in Sexual and Reproductive Health at the alma mater of her husband, record-breaking high school basketball coach Oliver "Coach" Elders. She has also enjoyed a close connection with the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington through serving on the TrojanTM board of advisors alongside several School of Public Health-Bloomington faculty members.