Animal Health Human Health One Health: The Life and Legacy of Dr. James H. Steele

To call Jim Steele “just” a veterinarian is like saying Bill Gates is “just” a software engineer. During his one hundred years of life, Steele changed the face of veterinary medicine and public health.

As the first US assistant surgeon general for veterinary affairs at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, he pioneered the simple but powerful philosophy that human health is intimately connected to the health of animals and our surrounding environment. His unwavering convictions, passion for medical progress, and strong leadership have saved and enriched countless human and animal lives.

Animal Health Human Health One Health recounts Jim Steele’s remarkable story, bringing to life his rough-and-tumble childhood in Chicago, his veterinary and academic career, countless battles with deadly diseases, public health adventures around the globe, creation of the first comprehensive scientific book series on zoonotic diseases, and his final years when he was still speaking, coauthoring scientific articles and books, and mentoring and advising students, colleagues and world leaders. He was the father of Veterinary Public Health and a motivator to all who met him.

His life story is a great inspiration for anyone with curiosity and passion for the health, life and environmental sciences.

Craig Nash Carter grew up in Whiting, Indiana. After high school, he enlisted on active duty in the US Air Force and served a tour in the Vietnam conflict. After release from active duty, he completed a doctor of veterinary medicine degree at Texas A&M University. After graduation, he started a general practice and began working in the diagnostic laboratory at Texas A&M. One of his job responsibilities was to lead the development of a large scale veterinary laboratory information system. Next, he completed a M.S. in epidemiology and a Ph.D. in veterinary public health.

He is currently director of the veterinary diagnostic laboratory and a professor of epidemiology in the College of Agriculture, Food, and the Environment at the University of Kentucky. In that role, he enjoys guiding daily and future operations of the laboratory, conducting research, and mentoring graduate students.

After his active duty service and veterinary training, Carter received a commission and continued his military career in the US Air Force as a reserve Environmental Health Officer and in the US Army as a Veterinary Corps Officer and Commander. His reserve career took him around the world on humanitarian missions and combat support deployments. Today, he is still active as a civilian international veterinary consultant.

He and his wife Ronda live on a small farm near Lexington, Kentucky, with their beloved German Shepherd dog.