Leslie Lumsden was one of the nation’s most outstanding leaders in the development of rural sanitation.

A native of Virginia, Lumsden was born on June 14, 1875. In 1894, Lumsden received his medical degree from the University of Virginia. Between 1894-1895, Lumsden did post-graduate work at Johns Hopkins University. In 1898, he entered the Public Health Service.

Within the Public Health Service, Lumsden quickly became an expert in typhoid and he worked to combat typhoid epidemics in areas ranging from Washington DC to Huntsville, Alabama. Lumsden also worked with local and state authorities to develop improved sanitation in rural areas. This work laid the groundwork for future generations of PHS officers to work closely with local authorities. Lumsden also trained a generation of future PHS officers, including Thomas Parren who later served as Surgeon General.

During the pandemic, Lumsden published a series of recommendations intended to prevent and help treat influenza.

Lumsden died on November 8, 1946.