Joycelyn Elders
Professor of Pediatrics,
University of Arkansas Medical Center
Little Rock, Arkansas
Joycelyn Elders was the first African American, and the second woman, to serve as U.S. surgeon general when President Bill Clinton appointed her to the position in 1993. As surgeon general, she was a courageous and outspoken advocate of a variety of health-related causes, including the distribution of contraceptives in schools.
In 1994, Elders was invited to speak at a United Nations conference on AIDS, where she was asked whether it would be appropriate to promote masturbation as a means of preventing young people from engaging in riskier forms of sexual activity. "I think that it is part of human sexuality, and perhaps it should be taught," she replied, sparking a brouhaha, particularly among right-wing interests in the U.S. Clinton, who had recently suffered a GOP takeover of Congress, asked Elders to resign.
As Arkansas’ governor, Clinton had first appointed Elders as director of the Arkansas Department of Health in 1987, where she oversaw a tenfold increase in the number of early childhood screenings annually and almost a doubling of the immunization rate for two-year-olds in Arkansas.
Elders received her B.A. in biology from Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas. She joined the U.S. Army in 1953, where she was trained as a physical therapist. She secured her M.D. degree at the University of Arkansas Medical School in 1960. After completing an internship at the University of Minnesota Hospital and a residency in pediatrics at the University of Arkansas Medical Center, Elders earned an M.S. in biochemistry in 1967. She received a National Institutes of Health career development award and served as assistant professor in pediatrics at the University of Arkansas Medical Center. She was promoted to associate professor in 1971 and professor in 1976. Her research interests focused on endocrinology, and she received certification as a pediatric endocrinologist in 1978. She became an expert on childhood sexual development. Elders received a D.Sc. from Bates College in 2002.
Since leaving her post as surgeon general, Elders has returned to the University of Arkansas Medical Center as professor of pediatrics. She is also a regular on the lecture circuit, speaking on issues related to AIDS and teen pregnancy.
Last Updated: 10-21-07
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