Samuel J. Crumbine

Samuel J. Crumbine was one of the nation's leaders in the field of public healthwhose campaigns were directed at practices and conditions that led to the spread of communicable diseases.

Born September 17, 1862 in Emlenton, Pennsylvania, Crumbine graduated from Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery and established a practice in Dodge City during the late 1880s. Crumbine was appointed to the State Board of Health in 1904 and became secretary and executive officer of the board two years later. Although he faced considerable opposition from those who resisted government regulation of any kind, Crumbine soon initiated a vigorous public health campaign in Kansas.

He began by attacking the use of "common" drinking cups and soon had abolished their use on railroads and in public buildings. Within a short time Dr. Crumbine had become famous for his efforts to improve hygiene.

One of Crumbine's best known campaigns was associated with the slogan "Don't Spit on the Sidewalk." He was concerned that the habit spread disease. He was so convincing that brick manufacturers produced bricks with this slogan imprinted on them. These bricks can occasionally be found in the few brick sidewalks still remaining in the state, and even in places around the world. His campaign against houseflies urged screening windows and doors and used the slogan, "Swat the Fly." These activities brought Crumbine an international reputation in the field of public health.

Other targets of his campaigns were the exposed roller towel, often used on railroad trains and in other public areas. His success in this area was illustrated by the adoption of disposable paper cups and towels. Crumbine also warned against misleading labels on food and drugs.

Crumbine also tried his hand at writing, authoring the Frontier Doctor which described his medical practice on the Kansas frontier in Dodge City.

In 1911, during his tenure on the Board of Health, Crumbine also became dean of the University of Kansas Medical School. He left Kansas in 1923 and moved to New York where he served as executive director of the American Child Health Association. After retirement, Crumbine resided on Long Island, New York, but returned to Kansas for speaking engagements on several occasions before his death, July 13, 1954. The Crumbine Award was established in 1955 in his memory and is awarded each by the food and drug industry to encourage public health.