Lerrigo, Charles Henry, 1872-1955

Physician; commander of the Washburn Ambulance Company (346th Ambulance Company) in World War I; founder of the Society for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, forerunner of the American Lung Association. Of Topeka, Kan.

Charles Henry Lerrigo (1875-1955) was born in Birmingham, England and came to the United States in 1886. He was educated at the Homeopathic Medical College of Missouri and graduated in 1900 with an M.D. Lerrigo practiced medicine in Topeka, Kansas. He served in France during WWI as commanding officer of an ambulance company. Several of his serial publications are drawn from his war experience: "Billy Ransom's Adventures in France," "Billy Ransom's Further Adventures," "Alone in an Army Camp," and "From Charing Cross to Germany."

Lerrigo was active in many fields. He served on the Kansas State Board of Health (1905-1924), and served as its president (1909-1910). He was executive secretary of the Kansas State Tuberculosis Association from 1922-1948. From 1919-1922, he was also state registrar of vital statistics.

Lerrigo also wrote novels, short stories, serials, health articles and columns, and was health editor of Capper Publications. Several of his novels used medical settings.

Lerrigo was a member of the American Medical Association, a fellow of the American Public Health Association, the American Geriatrics Society, the American Trudeau Society and an honorary member of the National Conference of Tuberculosis Workers. Lerrigo died on December 4, 1955, in Topeka, Kansas.