Statement on the Death of Representative C.W. Bill Young

I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Representative C.W. Bill Young, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Defense. The distinguished Congressman from Florida was a staunch supporter of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and an unwavering champion of our agency's mission. In fact, there is a building on the NIH campus that was dedicated in his honor in May 2006, the C.W. Bill Young Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases. Representative Young was a gracious gentleman, generous with his time and attention to the issues that matter to our country. And he was always willing to work with others toward the common good. He will be sorely missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, National Institutes of Health