William Crawford Gorgas was born on October 3, 1854, in Toulminville, Alabama. Gorgas was a pioneer in the field of public health and tropical medicine and his work in eradicating yellow fever in Panama made possible the construction of the Panama Canal. Gorgas served as U.S. Army surgeon general, won several honors for his service to public health, and fought tirelessly to improve sanitary conditions throughout South America and Africa.
Photos courtesy of: Alamy, University of Alabama, Archive.org