The establishment of the School of Public Health at the State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center: the first nationally accredited school of public health in a public university in New York City.

The State University of New York (SUNY), Downstate Medical Center initiated a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program in July 2001 following planning efforts that began in 1995. Twelve students entered the program in June 2002, and currently some 110 MPH students and 12 Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) students are enrolled. This article describes the long and complex process of transforming the original MPH degree program, with its single focus on urban and immigrant health, with a student enrollment of 12 and 8 full-time faculty, into a school of public health with a large student enrollment of 122 students, 25 full-time faculty, five MPH degree tracks, and four DrPH degree tracks.

Bernard J. Cigrand, DDS: Father of Flag Day and renaissance man.

Dr. Bernard J. Cigrand is acknowledged as the "Father of Flag Day.

The differing views on insanity of two nineteenth century forensic psychiatrists.

Dr. Charles H. Nichols and Dr.

Smallpox and New York City's smallpox hospital.

Threatened use of the smallpox virus in bioterrorist attacks recently prompted national concerns in the United States. Smallpox, the "speckled monster," was known in antiquity. In 1856, New York City opened its first hospital devoted to caring for victims of smallpox.

A. Lincoln, esquire defends the murderer of a physician.

After only about a year of law practice, Abraham Lincoln participated in his first murder trial. Dr. Jacob M.