JEROMEH. SVORE, P.E.
Assistant Surgeon General
Rear Admiral, USPHS (ret.)
Jerome Herman Svore was born in Kansas in December 1911. He was known to his friends and colleagues as “Jerry.” He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of North Dakota and a Master of Science Degree in Sanitary Engineering from Harvard University. Svore married Ruth Evelyn Rogers in 1939.
Jerry Svore served 19 years with the North Dakota State Department of Health, the last 12 of which he was Chief Engineer and the last four he served as the State Health Officer. During his tenure as Chief Sanitary Engineer, he was a pioneer in the development of the lagoon method of sewage treatment in the State, which was copied throughout the entire United States. His state-level experience would serve him well in his PHS career.
An inactive reserve officer in the Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps since 1943, Jerry Svore returned to active duty in the PHS in June of 1957 and was assigned to Portland, Oregon where he served as the executive Secretary of the Columbia River Basin Interagency Committee. One year later he was assigned to the HEW Regional office in Dallas, Texas as Director of the Arkansas Red River Basin Water Quality Conversation project. Remaining in the Dallas Regional Office, he assumed responsibilities first as Staff engineer and then as Regional Program Director for water supply and pollution control activities, under the Federal Water Pollution Control Program.
In the late 1960’s Svore was the Director, National Center for Urban and Industrial Health, based out of Cincinnati. With the creation of the Consumer Protection and Environmental Health Service in 1968, Svore became the Regional Assistant Administrator of that agency for the Dallas region. In 1970 after the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, he became EPA’s air pollution, radiological health, solid waste and water supply program director for the EPA Region 7, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. In July of 1971 he was appointed the EPA Region 7 Administrator.
In February of 1974 Jerome Svore was promoted to the rank of Assistant Surgeon General with the equivalent rank of Rear Admiral (RADM) in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. RADM Svore continued in his post as EPA Region 7 Administrator until January of 1976 when he retired at age 65. After retirement, he and his wife Ruth and their two children, Donald and Deanna moved to Texas.
RADM Svore was a registered professional engineer in the State of North Dakota. He was a national leader in river basin water pollution control and active in many organizations, including the American Public Health Association. He received the American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. He also received the Public Health Service Commendation Medal and a variety of other awards from professional public health and engineering societies. RADM Svore passed away on August 4, 1991 in Roanoke, Texas.
May 2008
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