The objective for Target Zero — Smallpox Eradication Archives is to establish a comprehensive online research archive. Target Zero seeks to bring together, in a single location accessible to the global community, references to programme documents, publications, and archives associated with smallpox eradication.
Target Zero began in 2014 as a collaboration between Dr DA Henderson, former chief of WHO's Smallpox Eradication Programme, and his daughter Leigh Henderson, an epidemiologist and project manager with experience in web-based documentation sites. DA Henderson, as Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, promoted worldwide education in public and international health.
In a traditional archive, documents are accessible only to a limited few people for well-defined research projects. We believed that the documentation and lessons of the smallpox eradication programme— the practical management of national and international public health programs— should be open to the world community.
Target Zero references over 2000 documents — some 1000 programme documents, 400 journal articles, and 600 papers and speeches in the DA Henderson Archive. Some 500 images — photographs, posters, smallpox recognition cards, and so on — are displayed.
The principles, management, and operations of the program
Insight into the personal experience and historical events that made smallpox eradication possible.
The DA Henderson Archive is part of Target Zero. Henderson (1927-2016) was chief of the SEP from 1967-1976. He had an extensive collection of documents, books, artifacts, medals and awards, personal correspondence, and other memorabilia related to smallpox eradication. Many documents are handwritten and/or unpublished. Links are provided for some 600 of Henderson’s 200-odd scientific papers and more than 900 speeches, many hand-written and/or unpublished.
DA Henderson’s personal papers are archived at the Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Most of his medals, as well as smallpox programme memorabilia are housed at the Institute of the History of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.
Documents have been categorized by country, subject matter, and/or source, and may appear under multiple categories. For example, a WHO report of a study conducted in India concerning smallpox transmission patterns will be listed under both India and Smallpox: Clinical & Epidemiological Features. If it was presented at a meeting, it will be listed under that meeting as the source.
We regret that development of a search capability for this site exceeds our resources.
Web site design and text are © 2026 Leigh Ainslie Henderson.
Most documents on this site are subject to publisher copyright. We provide links to the online location where the document can accessed or purchased. Exceptions include unpublished documents among DA Henderson's personal papers, provided as PDFs.
Some articles are not available online—either the journal itself is not online or its online archives don't include older issues. Please contact the journal directly, or the Target Zero archivist.
We'd like to acknowledge the many contributions from the "smallpox warriors" that bring the program to life. Only the "warriors" have experienced the multitude of challenges in actually making the program work. Only they can convey their dedication and determination.
A 1965 tour report preceding the approval of CDC's Smallpox Eradication/Measles Control Program, insisted that:
... our people in the field must be hard working, adaptable, ingenious, technically competent, self-effacing diplomats. It is probably more important that they be ingenious, adaptable, and tactful than that they be professionally brilliant. It is essential that they be patient and relatively resistant to frustration. Youth may be a handicap, but it may be overcome by the demonstration of the characteristics mentioned above.
Heat tolerance was a bonus, and professional brilliance came later to these young men.
Gene Bartley; Joel Breman; Larry Brilliant; Peter Carrasco; Pierre Claquin; Jay Friedman; Harald Heijbel; Steve Jones; Lev Khodakevich; Mike Levine; Jean Lythcott; Stan Music; Dennis Olsen; Pat Imperato; Scott Porterfield; Vince Radke; Mike Schwartz; Jim Skelton; Marc Strassburg; Gassan Suleimanov; Bruce Weniger; John Wickett; Henderson family
Christopher d'Amanda; Jay Friedman; Nana Henderson; Tim Miner; Mike Schwartz (video).
Joel Breman, veteran of both CDC and WHO programs, a strong and steadfast Target Zero supporter, introduced us to dedicated historian Mary Hilpertshauser, curator at the David J. Sencer CDC Museum. We have exchanged documents and photos about CDC's Central and Western Smallpox Africa Eradication/Measles Control Program.
Stan Foster, veteran of both CDC and WHO programs, for organizing and inviting me to attend the Bangladesh veterans' reunion at his family camp in September 2018. Thanks also to the warriors who shared their experiences and their remarkable post-smallpox careers, and to wives and children who shared theirs. Special tanks to Dottie Foster and those Who worked so hard to provide us with succulent meals and to keep the machinery rolling.
John Andrews for a collection including reward fliers, diagnostic brochures, and much-used smallpox recognition cards for both variola major and variola minor.
Veronica Garcia digitized Larry Brilliant's smallpox library, now the University of Michigan Library's Brilliant Collection. She writes, "Every piece of paper, every negative and every slide is now in a form that can be easily shared and distributed to whoever would want them. That is how much I value and appreciate the work that you all did!"
Kristina Engstrom, who brought to our attention the collection on Women Peace Corps Volunteers in Afghanistan's Smallpox Eradication Program, housed at the Radcliffe Schlesinger Library.
Alan Morinis for a remarkable 1976 Bengali wall calendar featuring reward information and a large picture of a very unpleasant case of smallpox.
Mike Schwartz for one of the hand-painted cloth banners that advertised the 500-taka reward for reporting a case of smallpox. These were placed on every boat landing in Patakhuali, Bangladesh. He has also donated one to the CDC Museum.
Jill Vickers and Jody Bergedick, who have made available for research purposes their 2002 documentary Once in Afghanistan.
Bruce Weniger for his excerpt of the WHO film Point of No Return featuring Ciro de Quadros.
John Wickett (former SEP technical officer, administrative officer, WHO consultant, and lamb roaster extraordinaire) was critical in archiving SEP documents at WHO. He is turning up some fascinating older documents, as well as documents related to the origins of the Expanded Program on Immunization.
Victor Okunrintemi, Bloomberg School of Public Health, then student and President of the Anna Baetjer Society for Public Health Practice, donated time for the much-needed task of ensuring that links went to the right places.
Alasdair Wylie for a collection of working documents from the Bangladesh programme.
Translation from Amharic
Tsegereda Kifle
If you have slides, photos, narratives, or other material you'd like to contribute, please contact us at Target Zero
.
Leigh Ainslie Henderson PhD
Project Director
Mail: 3001 Guilford Ave.
Baltimore MD 21218-3926
USA
Phone: 410.292.5623
Email: SEP Archive
