The APHA Presidential Citation is presented to a person or organization in recognition of outstanding contributions to the advancement of public health or the public health profession. The citation is not presented every year, but only on occasions of unusual merit. Candidates for the APHA Presidential Citation are nominated by the president of the Association, and the choice is confirmed by the APHA Executive Board.
Previous Winners
2023 Dolly Parton
2022 Rear Admiral Denise Hinton, MS, RN
2021 Voto Latino Foundation
2020 Anthony S. Fauci, MD
2019 Judith Monroe, MD
2018 America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia
2017 C. William Keck, MD, MPH, FACPM
2016 Black Lives Matter
2015 Helene D. Gayle, MD, MPH
2014 Joycelyn Elders, MD
2013 First Lady Michelle Obama
2012 President Barack Obama
2011 Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, MBA
2010 Robert Garcia, JD
2009 Alexander Gatherer, MD, FFPH, FRSPH
2008 Wellstone Action!
2007 National WIC Association
2006 Gay and Lesbian Medical Association
2005 National Association of Community Health Centers
2004 Doctors Without Borders
2003 Diana M. Bonta, RN, DrPH
2002 William H. Foege, MD, MPH
2001 Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
2000 Donna E. Shalala
1999 Frank Speizer, MD
1998 Ralph Nader
1997 Nelson Mandela,
1996 Laurie Garrett
1995 Byllye Y. Avery, MEd
1994 Rhoda Karpatkin
1993 Frances Fox Piven, PhD
1992 John W. Gardner, PhD
1990 Peggy Charren
1989 Studs L. Terkel
1988 Louis Stokes
1987 Wilbur J. Cohen
1985 James P. Grant, JD
1983 Anthony Mazzocchi
1982 Margaret E. Kuhn
1981 Bill Mauldin
1980 Rosa Parks
1979 Marian Wright Edelman, LLB
1978 Rosalynn Carter
1977 John J. Hanlon, MD, MPH
1976 Russell E. Train
1975 Betty Friedan
1974 The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson
1973 Rep. Paul G. Rogers, D-Fla.,
1972 Rep. Lister Hill, D-Ala.
1971 William D. Ruckelshaus
1969 Isidore E. Buff, MD, Donald L. Rasmussen, MD,
Hawey A. Wells, Jr., MD, Lorin E. Kerr, MD
1968 Rep. Melvin R. Laird, R-Wisc.
1967 Robert M. Nash
1966 Emory W. Morris, DDS