CDC at 75

January 9 – September 22, 2023

Since its founding on July 1, 1946, CDC has been at the forefront of public health—the scope of its activities and accomplishments branching across the U.S. and the world. To mark this 75^th anniversary, the David J. Sencer CDC Museum staff combed our rich collections and archives to identify rarely seen objects, documents, and media that provide a glimpse into the breadth and depth of CDC’s history.

Although CDC at 75 is not a linear timeline of CDC history, it tells unique stories about the work of this fabled agency. Many of the stories reflect the agency’s growth from the Communicable Disease Center, as CDC was first known, to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC’s current portfolio of activities ranges from preventing and controlling both infectious and chronic diseases to worker safety and to advancing health equity across the nation. Some of our collections predate the founding of CDC and set the stage for our current work, such as early quarantine documents; others document the recent COVID-19 response.

There is another milestone: the David J. Sencer CDC Museum just celebrated our 25^th birthday! Founded on July 1,1996, the CDC Museum has evolved into a dynamic organization serving the CDC community, public health professionals worldwide, and the general public through innovative exhibition and education programs, while diligently collecting and preserving CDC history through physical and digital archives.

CDC at 75 is organized by the David J. Sencer CDC Museum and is sponsored by the CDC Office of Communication.