Roger O. Egeberg
Encyclopedia
Roger Olaf Egeberg, M.D. served as General Douglas MacArthur's personal physician during WWII in the Pacific Theater and as Assistant Secretary of Health in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (now the United States Department of Health and Human Services
) during the Richard Nixon
administration. Prior to his service in the Nixon administration, he was the dean of the University of Southern California
's medical school.
Egeberg's stance that penalties for marijuana
offenses were excessive led to reduction of simple possession from a felony to a misdemeanor. In 1970, the committee reviewing the Controlled Substances Act
requested his advice on how marijuana should be regulated. In retrospect, one of the most far-reaching letters he ever wrote was this letter to Harley O. Staggers, Chairman of the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, which led to marijuana being "temporarily" placed in Schedule I, the most tightly-controlled category of drugs:
Egeberg only intended that marijuana remain in Schedule I until the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse
completed its report. However, Nixon refused to implement the Commission's recommendation that marijuana be legalized, and the drug remains in Schedule I today. Egeberg's letter has been cited in several petitions for removal of cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
Before Dr. Egeberg was named to the health post by President Richard Nixon, he had won widespread respect as a medical administrator in Los Angeles, where he was dean of the Medical School at the University of Southern California.
He was the ranking health official from 1969 to 1971, as the assistant secretary for health and scientific affairs in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
Dr. Egeberg won admiration within the department as an outspoken advocate of expanding the Government's role in solving the nation's health care problems. He fought for more money for medical programs and for more attention to health care by the White House.
But in an interview in the spring of 1970, when he was seeking an additional $100 million to immediately expand the training of more doctors and nurses, he said that the Health, Education and Welfare Secretary, Robert H. Finch, and the department's Under Secretary, John C. Veneman, were not taking his advice on health matters and that Mr. Nixon's advisers openly ignored him.
Health care was a subject Mr. Nixon had emphasized in his 1968 campaign, but Dr. Egeberg said in the interview that the White House just doesn't appreciate, doesn't know, what is going on in the health field. He added, I just can't get through to Ehrlichman, referring to John D. Ehrlichman, the President's chief aide for domestic matters.
Dr. Egeberg also denied rumors at the time that he might step down, saying, I may be fired because of my words and actions, but I won't quit.
Officials of the department, including Mr. Finch, expressed dissatisfaction with Dr. Egeberg's managerial skills. In 1971, he left his post and became the Health Secretary's special assistant for health policy, from 1971 to 1977; special assistant for health education, in 1976 and 1977, and special consultant to the President for health affairs, from 1971 to 1977.
He later worked as a professor at Georgetown University.
Dr. Egeberg was born in Chicago to Hans Olaf Egeberg and the former Ulrikka Rostrup Nielsen. He received a bachelor's degree in 1925 from Cornell University
where he was a member of the Quill and Dagger
society. He then earned his medical degree in 1929 from Northwestern University and became an internist. In World War II he was the personal physician for Gen. Douglas MacArthur, rose to the rank of colonel and won the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit.
Dr. Egeberg's writings include the book The General: MacArthur and the Man He Called 'Doc.' (1993, Oak Mountain).
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
) during the Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
administration. Prior to his service in the Nixon administration, he was the dean of the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
's medical school.
Egeberg's stance that penalties for marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
offenses were excessive led to reduction of simple possession from a felony to a misdemeanor. In 1970, the committee reviewing the Controlled Substances Act
Controlled Substances Act
The Controlled Substances Act was enacted into law by the Congress of the United States as Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. The CSA is the federal U.S. drug policy under which the manufacture, importation, possession, use and distribution of certain...
requested his advice on how marijuana should be regulated. In retrospect, one of the most far-reaching letters he ever wrote was this letter to Harley O. Staggers, Chairman of the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, which led to marijuana being "temporarily" placed in Schedule I, the most tightly-controlled category of drugs:
- "Dear Mr. Chairman: In a prior communication, comments requested by your committee on the scientific aspects of the drug classification scheme incorporated in H.R. 18583 were provided. This communication is concerned with the proposed classification of marihuana.
- "It is presently classed in schedule I(C) along with its active constituents, the tetrahydrocannibinols and other psychotropic drugs.
- "Some question has been raised whether the use of the plant itself produces "severe psychological or physical dependence" as required by a schedule I or even schedule II criterion. Since there is still a considerable void in our knowledge of the plant and effects of the active drug contained in it, our recommendation is that marihuana be retained within schedule I at least until the completion of certain studies now underway to resolve the issue. If those studies make it appropriate for the Attorney General to change the placement of marihuana to a different schedule, he may do so in accordance with the authority provided under section 201 of the bill. . .
- "Sincerely yours, (signed) Roger O. Egeberg, M.D."
Egeberg only intended that marijuana remain in Schedule I until the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse
National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse
The National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse was created by Public Law 91-513 to study marijuana abuse in the United States. While the Controlled Substances Act was being drafted in a House committee in 1970, Assistant Secretary of Health Roger O...
completed its report. However, Nixon refused to implement the Commission's recommendation that marijuana be legalized, and the drug remains in Schedule I today. Egeberg's letter has been cited in several petitions for removal of cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
Before Dr. Egeberg was named to the health post by President Richard Nixon, he had won widespread respect as a medical administrator in Los Angeles, where he was dean of the Medical School at the University of Southern California.
He was the ranking health official from 1969 to 1971, as the assistant secretary for health and scientific affairs in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
Dr. Egeberg won admiration within the department as an outspoken advocate of expanding the Government's role in solving the nation's health care problems. He fought for more money for medical programs and for more attention to health care by the White House.
But in an interview in the spring of 1970, when he was seeking an additional $100 million to immediately expand the training of more doctors and nurses, he said that the Health, Education and Welfare Secretary, Robert H. Finch, and the department's Under Secretary, John C. Veneman, were not taking his advice on health matters and that Mr. Nixon's advisers openly ignored him.
Health care was a subject Mr. Nixon had emphasized in his 1968 campaign, but Dr. Egeberg said in the interview that the White House just doesn't appreciate, doesn't know, what is going on in the health field. He added, I just can't get through to Ehrlichman, referring to John D. Ehrlichman, the President's chief aide for domestic matters.
Dr. Egeberg also denied rumors at the time that he might step down, saying, I may be fired because of my words and actions, but I won't quit.
Officials of the department, including Mr. Finch, expressed dissatisfaction with Dr. Egeberg's managerial skills. In 1971, he left his post and became the Health Secretary's special assistant for health policy, from 1971 to 1977; special assistant for health education, in 1976 and 1977, and special consultant to the President for health affairs, from 1971 to 1977.
He later worked as a professor at Georgetown University.
Dr. Egeberg was born in Chicago to Hans Olaf Egeberg and the former Ulrikka Rostrup Nielsen. He received a bachelor's degree in 1925 from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
where he was a member of the Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger is a senior honor society at Cornell University. It is often recognized as one of the most prominent collegiate societies of its type, along with Skull and Bones of Yale University...
society. He then earned his medical degree in 1929 from Northwestern University and became an internist. In World War II he was the personal physician for Gen. Douglas MacArthur, rose to the rank of colonel and won the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit.
Dr. Egeberg's writings include the book The General: MacArthur and the Man He Called 'Doc.' (1993, Oak Mountain).