Republicans and Evangelics | C. Everett Koop (part 1)

Give to help Chris make Truce We've all been teased. It's an unfortunate part of being human. When we are teased, we can choose to ignore the taunts, to become embittered, or to rise above them. Today, the story of a man who proved his haters wrong with his sheer competency. C. Everett Koop was a pioneering American pediatric surgeon who gained national prominence long before entering public office. He served as Surgeon-in-Chief at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where he specialized in pediatric surgery, particularly in correcting congenital birth defects. Over the course of his surgical career, he helped advance neonatal and infant surgery techniques, published extensively in medical journals, and became widely respected for his clinical skill and moral conviction. His early work established him as one of the leading pediatric surgeons in the United States. In 1981, Koop was appointed Surgeon General by President Ronald Reagan, serving under the United States Public Health Service until 1989. Initially considered a controversial choice, he became one of the most influential Surgeons General in modern history. Koop took strong, science-based positions on major public health issues, most notably the AIDS epidemic, where he advocated for comprehensive sex education and widespread public awareness at a time of intense political sensitivity. He also led high-profile campaigns against tobacco use, emphasizing the health risks of smoking and nicotine addiction. His tenure significantly elevated the visibility and authority of the Surgeon General’s office and reshaped public health communication in America. My guest for this episode is Nigel Cameron. Sources: Dr. Koop by Nigel Cameron Francis Shaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelical America by Barry Hankins How Shall We Then Live? video series Whatever Happened to the Human Race? book and video series Reaganland by Rick Perlstein The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald List of events in 1981 Henry Center article on Carl Henry List of songs by the Capital Steps Discussion Questions: Has anyone ever made fun of you? How did you respond? How should you have responded? Why is it important to note Koop's medical credentials when discussing him? What impact did Francis Schaeffer have on the evangelical world? On Koop? Why is it important to keep noting that abortion was mostly a Catholic issue up until the 1970s? Why was Koop a controversial choice as Reagan's Surgeon General? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices