Dr. Louis Sullivan

A distinguished physician, educator and public servant, Dr. Louis W. Sullivan was the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (H&HS) in the administration of President George H.W. Bush. The son of an undertaker in rural Georgia, Louis Sullivan excelled academically and graduated with honors from Atlanta's Morehouse College in 1955. He earned a scholarship to Boston University Medical School, where he became a full professor after serving as an instructor at Harvard Medical School. One of the nation's leading experts on blood and blood disease, he was the first scientist to determine the minimum requirement of vitamin B-12 for human health, and was a pioneer in the study of the effects of alcoholism on the blood-forming system. Sullivan returned to Morehouse College in the 1970s to serve as founding dean and first president of Morehouse School of Medicine. In 1989, Dr. Sullivan was invited by President George H.W. Bush to join his cabinet as Secretary of H&HS, the federal agency responsible for the major health, welfare, food and drug safety and medical research programs. During Dr. Sullivan's term (1989-1993), the department was also responsible for Medicare and Social Security. As Secretary, Sullivan emphasized public education in nutrition and disease prevention as a fundamental factor in improving health outcomes generally. Since 1998, he has been Chairman of the Board of Biosante Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He is also Chairman of the National Health Museum in Atlanta, and of the Sullivan Alliance to Increase Diversity in the Health Profession. This podcast was recorded during the Academy of Achievement's 1992 Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada, when Dr. Sullivan was serving as H&HS Secretary. In his address to the Academy's student delegates, he affirms his belief that "True success is measured by the ability to contribute to the lives of others." He shares the principles that have served him throughout his career: commitment to excellence, preparation for the unexpected opportunity, and a willingness to take a chance on the road less traveled.