On January 13, 1912, the Senate confirmed the President's appointment of Dr. Rupert Blue to succeed the late Dr. Wyman as surgeon general. Dr. Blue is a comparatively young man, but comes to this responsible post well prepared and with prospects bright for an administration strongly conducive toward maintaining the present high standard of the Public Health Service in personnel and efficiency, and increasing its prestige and value to the nation.
Dr. Blue was born in South Carolina in 1868, graduated from the University of Maryland in 1892, and was commissioned an assistant surgeon in the Marine Hospital Service the following year, after serving an interneship in a Marine Hospital. Four years later he passed the examination for passed assistant surgeon. He attained the rank of surgeon on May 1, 1909. His first eight years in the service were spent in the usual round of routine duties at various points in the United States. In 1903-04 Dr. Blue was detailed as executive officer under Surgeon Joseph H. White, who was in charge of the operations directed toward the eradication of bubonic plague in San Francisco. The following year he assisted in the suppression of yellow fever in New Orleans. At the Jamestown Exposition in 1907 Dr. Blue was made director of sanitation and showed ability above the ordinary in organization and in reconciling the various interests represented at the exposition and making a conspicuous success of its sanitation. He
