# When was the position of Surgeon General created? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 24, 2006, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-position-of-surgeon-general-created/362021 "2006-06-24T22:49:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2006, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-position-of-surgeon-general-created/362021/1 "2006-06-24T22:49:53Z")
How long have we had a Surgeon General and what prompted the creation of that post? What exactly does that job entail? Just curious. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-position-of-surgeon-general-created/362021/2 "2006-06-24T23:21:27Z")
[1871, to head up the (mechant) Marine Hospital Service](http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/NN/Views/Exhibit/narrative/system.html) that was renamed to the U.S. Public Health Service in 1912. That is why his uniform looks naval. USPHS used to have a primary job of keeping plague, typhus, dyusentery, etc. quarantined on incoming merchant vessels. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2006, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-position-of-surgeon-general-created/362021/3 "2006-06-25T00:24:33Z")
The Master Speaks: [Why does the U.S. Surgeon General wear a uniform?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_194b.html)