FDA History Office Also referred to as: FHO
Mission
The mission of the FDA History Office is to increase knowledge of the history, mission, and activities of the FDA and its predecessor, the Bureau of Chemistry of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
The FDA History Office provides perspective on current policy objectives and increases public understanding of FDA's purpose and function. A detailed description of the office's functions was published in Federal Register notice 75 FR 7409 (p.7509) published February 19, 2010 (also posted below).
In general, office activities concern research, documentation, consultation, and providing information, including:
Research
- development of historical background on legislative initiatives
- creation of briefing documents on precedents to major organizational changes in the agency
- background papers on policy considerations
- scholarly articles and monographs on select areas of scientific and regulatory history
Documentation
- oral history interviews to fill in gaps in the paper record (see below)
- collection, preservation, and exhibition of museum objects illustrating the history of the agency (see below)
- identification and preservation of historically significant records
- development of commemorations of significant agency events and milestones
Consultation
- facilitation of scholarly studies of FDA history
- referee and review of articles, books, and grant applications in the general area of FDA history
- promotion of accurate and informed FDA history, including sponsorship of a lecture series for FDA employees and interaction with colleagues in other government agencies and professional organizations
Information
- on-the-spot information to centers, offices, and all field offices
- historically related freedom of information queries
- reference or guidance for industry, law firms, students, the media, foundations, historical societies, and anyone else with a question about the agency's past
FDA History Office Staff
John Swann
FDA Historian and Team Lead
Hired as Historian in 1989. Received Ph. D. from the University of Wisconsin (Pharmacy and History of Science) in 1985. Specializes in the history of drugs, biologics, and their regulation.
Jason M. Chernesky
FDA Historian
Hired as historian in 2024. Jason specializes in the history medicine, public health, biomedical technologies, health policy, and child health issues. Jason received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 (History and Sociology of Science).
If you have any questions for the FDA History Office staff, please email us at: [email protected].
Additional Resources
- The Origins of the FDA History Office
- The FDA Oral History Program
- The FDA Artifact Collection
- Federal Register Notice 75 FR 7509
Contact Us
- FDA History Office
- 10903 New Hampshire Avenue
White Oak Building 1, Room 1201
Silver Spring, MD 20993 -
Hours Available