From the battlefields of World War II to the front lines of global disease eradication, William "Bill" C. Watson, Jr.'s remarkable journey exemplifies the transformative power of dedicated public service. His three decades of visionary leadership at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) not only shaped the organization's future but also set an enduring standard for value-driven public health leadership.
Born and raised in rural South Carolina, Bill’s humble beginnings instilled the core values that would guide his life's work. His daughter, Karen Rowles, reflects on these formative years: “He was raised on a farm in South Carolina [around] hard working people,” Rowles said. “That's how he was brought up.” These early lessons in humility and perseverance would prove invaluable in the challenges that lay ahead.
Bill's career journey began at the Citadel, South Carolina's military college, where his potential caught the attention of the Army Specialized Training Program. This elite wartime initiative brought him to Georgia Tech for intensive engineering studies. However, fate had different plans, and in 1944, he was called to serve on the front lines of World War II.
As a mortarman in the 100th Infantry Division, Bill faced the crucible of combat in the invasion of Southern France and the Battle of Vosges. His resilience was tested further when he became a prisoner of war, enduring six months in a Nazi labor camp near Dresden. "He was only 20... but he had a strength that I think came from his family, of just a will to live and a will to do more," Rowles recalls.
Bill Watson in army uniform, 1944
Bill Watson at a polio vaccine administration site
Bill Watson at his desk
These experiences, chronicled in Bill’s 1994 memoir, First Class Privates, forged a resilience that would define his approach to future challenges. After returning home and earning a political science degree from the University of South Carolina, Bill discovered his true calling in public health, joining the fledgling CDC in 1948 as one of its first six Public Health Advisors. With CDC’s encouragement, Bill earned a master’s in public administration in 1963 from Harvard University. Bill embarked on an illustrious career at the agency. He was instrumental in the CDC’s contributions to several early initiatives, such as the fight against malaria.
His ascent to deputy director in 1976 marked the beginning of his most impactful work. Alongside his friend and colleague, Bill Foege, he spearheaded the historic mission to eliminate smallpox in India–achieving what remains the only successful global eradication of an infectious disease. His leadership style, characterized by humility and a talent for bringing out the best in others, fostered a culture of excellence at the CDC.
Even after retiring in 1984, Bill's commitment to global health continued. That same year—inspired by their global work at CDC—he, Bill Foege and Carol Walters co-founded The Task Force for Child Survival, later named The Task Force for Global Health. A nonprofit organization, The Task Force for Global Health collaborates with similar organizations, such as CDC and The Carter Center (which both Bills co-led at one point), to train the next generation of public health professionals; conduct health policy research and advocacy; and combat epidemics such as Ebola, Zika virus and COVID-19.
Bill Watson and Bill Foege’s professional relationship created a lasting friendship and led to their endearing joint nickname, “the Two Bills,” which reflected the warmth and humility that always drove their work. “His focus was always in management and working with people, getting the best from everyone,” Rowles said of her father. “Encouraging people to do their best work and pulling people together and getting past egos.”
CDC was so important to him, and the idea of leaving a lasting legacy, I think, meant the world to him.
After his retirement as deputy director in 1984, the CDC Medal of Excellence—the highest honor bestowed by CDC—was renamed in his honor. Today, the William C. Watson Medal of Excellence annually recognizes CDC’s most “extraordinary employees who consistently strive for and achieve superior scientific and technical results.” Most recently, the Medal was awarded to Kathleen Basile, “for vision, leadership and dedication to preventing sexual and intimate partner violence.”
Bill Watson with his wife, Marge
Bill Watson with President Jimmy Carter at The Carter Center
The Task Force for Global Health founders Carol Walters, Bill Foege and Bill Watson
The William C. Watson Medal of Excellence is supported by the Marge and Bill Watson Endowment, jointly named after Bill and his wife. Established at the CDC Foundation in 1999, the endowment ensures those who receive the Medal of Excellence earn a complementary cash award for their service. Such endowments and donations to the CDC Foundation celebrate the legacy of public health luminaries like Bill who have permanently improved our world by recognizing current leaders committed to addressing today’s greatest health challenges.
Bill's passing in 2013 marked the end of a life devoted to public service, but his impact endures. "CDC was so important to him, and the idea of leaving a lasting legacy, I think, meant the world to him," Rowles reflects. "Renaming the medal after him was an honor."
Rowles hopes prospective contributors from within and beyond the field of public health will be inspired by her father and that they will support the work of the CDC through the CDC Foundation, thereby cultivating the next generation of public health leaders.
She knows with continued support, his legacy of humble, generous leadership will continue to live on.
He just brought that sense of family to CDC.
