Herman Niels Bundesen was a German-American medical professional, politician, and author.
28 Facts About Herman Bundesen
1.
2.
Herman Bundesen served two tenures as the chief health official of the city of Chicago, holding this role for more than 34 years in total.
3.
Herman Bundesen was seen to desire celebrity, taking many opportunities for media photo ops.
4.
Herman Neils Bundesen was born on April 27,1882, in Berlin, Germany.
5.
Herman Bundesen was born to a Danish father and German mother.
6.
Herman Bundesen was brought to Chicago at a young age by his widowed mother.
7.
Herman Bundesen graduated in 1909 from Northwestern University Medical School.
8.
Herman Bundesen was working for the health department during the time the Spanish Flu Pandemic impacted the city in 1918, playing a role in securing flu vaccine for the city.
9.
Herman Bundesen played a role in fighting a local epidemic of typhoid.
10.
Herman Bundesen had been appointed because of his efforts in combatting the typhoid epidemic.
11.
Herman Bundesen tracked the imposter to a rooming house, where a woman told him that the man was out.
12.
Herman Bundesen threatened to arrest the woman in his place, after which she admitted the abuser was hiding in a closet.
13.
Herman Bundesen launched an infant welfare program, emphasizing parental education.
14.
Herman Bundesen was successful in decreasing the city's rates of diphtheria.
15.
Herman Bundesen received much attention for numerous relief efforts he participated in.
16.
Herman Bundesen wrote baby books which became widely sold in the 1920s and 1930s.
17.
In 1927, members of the Chicago Sanitary District board accused Herman Bundesen of having spent $248,000 of health department funds "mostly for publicity".
18.
In November 1928, running as the Democratic nominee, Herman Bundesen was elected Cook County Coroner.
19.
Herman Bundesen defeated the incumbent Republican coroner, Oscar Wolff, by a three-to-one margin.
20.
Herman Bundesen took advantage of opportunities for media exposure after notable murders as well, including the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre and a 1930 mafia slaying of a Chicago Tribune reporter.
21.
Herman Bundesen was successful in decreasing the rates of syphilis.
22.
Herman Bundesen became president of the Chicago Board of Health, and retained the position of health commissioner.
23.
Herman Bundesen continued to focus on his efforts to decrease infant mortality after his return to power.
24.
Herman Bundesen, ultimately, was not taken by many as a serious candidate by many, in part due to his unorthodox campaigning style.
25.
Herman Bundesen continued serving as President of the Chicago Board of Health until his death, and continued to serve as Health Commissioner of Chicago until only months earlier.
26.
Also in 1937, Herman Bundesen participated in an experimental treatment for a critically ill infant girl.
27.
Herman Bundesen served as president of the American Public Health Association, and as a senior surgeon with the United States Public Health Service.
28.
In 1909, Herman Bundesen married Rega Russell, who adopted the name Rega Russell Herman Bundesen after wedding him.