View source for Rolla Dyer

{{Short description|American physician (1886–1971)}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2014}}

{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Rolla Eugene Dyer
| image = Rolla Dyer.jpg
| image_size = 
| image_upright = 
| alt = 
| caption = 
| order = 6th
| title = [[Director of the National Institutes of Health]]
| term_start = February 1, 1942
| term_end = September 30, 1950
| president = {{ublist|[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]|[[Harry S. Truman]]}}
| predecessor = [[Lewis R. Thompson]]
| successor = [[William H. Sebrell, Jr]]
| birth_name = <!-- if different from "name" -->
| birth_date = {{birth date |1886|11|04}}
| birth_place = [[Delaware County, Ohio]]
| death_date = {{death date and age |1971|06|07 |1886|11|04}}
| death_place = [[Atlanta, Georgia]]
| death_cause = 
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| citizenship = 
| nationality = American
| spouse = <!--(or | spouses = )-->
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| website = <!--{{URL|www.example.com}}-->
| footnotes = 
| module = {{Infobox scientist | embed=yes
  | fields            = Infectious disease research
  | workplaces        = {{ublist|[[U.S. Public Health Service]]|[[National Institutes of Health]]|[[Emory University School of Medicine]]}}
  | education         = 
  | alma_mater        = {{ublist|[[Kenyon College]]|[[University of Texas]]}}
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}}

'''Rolla Eugene Dyer''' (November 4, 1886 – June 3, 1971) was an American physician born in [[Delaware County, Ohio]]. Dyer received his B.A. in 1907 from [[Kenyon College]] in [[Gambier, Ohio]], and his M.D. in 1914 from the [[University of Texas System|University of Texas]].<ref name="Biography">{{cite journal |last1=Harden |first1=Victoria A. |title=Dyer, Rolla Eugene (1886-1971), research physician and public health administrator |journal=American National Biography |year=2000 |doi=10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1201796 |url=https://www.anb.org/view/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-1201796 |access-date=25 May 2020 |language=en|url-access=subscription }}</ref> He joined the [[U.S. Public Health Service]] in 1916.<ref name="barry">{{cite web |url=https://history.nih.gov/research/downloads/Notable_Cont_Med_Research.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624184614/http://www.history.nih.gov/research/downloads/Notable_Cont_Med_Research.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 24, 2009 |title=Notable contributions to medical research by Public health service scientists |first=Jeannette |last=Barry |year=1960 |publisher=[[U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare]] |pages=12–13}}</ref>

His first assignment involved fieldwork on [[bubonic plague]] in [[New Orleans]]. Five years later he joined the staff of the [[U.S. Hygienic Laboratory]], became chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases in 1936, and director of [[National Institutes of Health]] from 1942 until his retirement in 1950. An expert in [[infectious diseases]], he demonstrated how [[endemic typhus]] is spread and is noted for developing a [[vaccine]] to protect against the disease. In 1950 he was awarded the [[Walter Reed Medal]] from the [[American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=ASTMH - Walter Reed Medal |url=https://www.astmh.org/awards-fellowships-medals/awards-and-honors/walter-reed-medal |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.astmh.org}}</ref>

As director of NIH, Dr. Dyer organized the Division of Research Grants, assisted in planning the Clinical Center, and helped establish three new institutes: the National Heart Institute, the National Institute of Dental Research, and [[National Institute of Mental Health]]. He also served as a member of the scientific board of directors of the [[International Health Division]] of the [[Rockefeller Foundation]] and as director of research at [[Emory University]] until 1957.

He died in Atlanta on June 3, 1971.<ref name="nyt-1971jun03">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/06/03/archives/dr-rolla-e-dyer-exdirector-of-institutes-of-health-is-dead.html?pagewanted=all |title=Dr. Rolla E. Dyer, Ex-Director Of Institutes of Health, Is Dead |newspaper=[[New York Times]] |date=June 3, 1971 |page=42}}</ref>

His papers are held at the National Library of Medicine.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://findingaids.nlm.nih.gov/repositories/ammp/resources/dyer275|title=Rolla E. Dyer Papers 1929-1964|publisher=National Library of Medicine}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-gov|us}}
{{s-bef
| before = [[Lewis R. Thompson]]
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = Director of [[National Institute of Health]]
| years = 1942{{spaced ndash}}1948
}}
{{s-non
| reason = Position abolished
}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-new|position
}}
{{s-ttl|
| title = Director of [[National Institutes of Health]]
| years = 1948{{spaced ndash}}1950
}}
{{s-aft
| after = [[William H. Sebrell, Jr]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{National Institutes of Health}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dyer, Rolla}}
[[Category:1886 births]]
[[Category:1971 deaths]]
[[Category:Directors of the National Institutes of Health]]
[[Category:American infectious disease physicians]]
[[Category:Kenyon College alumni]]
[[Category:Franklin D. Roosevelt administration personnel]]
[[Category:Truman administration personnel]]


{{US-physician-stub}}