For his courageous approach to public health issues, including insistence on the validity of drug labeling, protection of the impartiality of review boards; institution of mechanisms for fast-tracking drug approval, especially for orphan drugs and terminal malignancies; implementation of nutrient food labeling, and recognition that the addictive effects of tobacco require a more active intervention on the part of society and government. His legacy as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration affects the lives of all citizens. (English)