William Welch (1850–1934)
MD 1875
Pathologist

While Welch made some notable research contributions—he discovered the gas bacillus—probably his greatest legacy lies in having trained some of the most eminent scientists of the time. Among them were Walter Reed, James Carroll, and Jesse Lazear, who showed that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes. Their finding, considered one of the greatest achievements of modern medical science, led to the virtual eradication of the disease. Medical schools and institutes across the country vied for Welch's former students and graduate scientists to fill top posts, and Welch served as a sort of national placement officer for academic physicians.

Submitted by Stephen Tsang, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences 1996 and College of Physicians and Surgeons 1998, who is solely responsible for the content.