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  5. Jane Henney
  1. FDA Leadership: 1907 to Today

Jane E. Henney

Photo of Jane E. Henney, M.D. Jane E. Henney, M.D.

1/17/1999 - 1/19/2001*

Dr. Henney began her tenure as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November of 1998. Prior to that, she served as the first Vice President of the University of New Mexico Health Sciences from 1994 to 1998. Before joining the University, Dr. Henney served as the Deputy Commissioner for Operations at FDA from 1992 to 1994. Dr. Henney's other past academic administrative positions have included Vice Chancellor for Health Programs and Policy at the University of Kansas, and Acting Director of the University of Kansas Mid America Cancer Center from 1985 to 1992. She also served as Interim Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Kansas from 1987 to 1989. From 1976 to 1985, Dr. Henney held various positions at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health. From 1980-1985, Dr. Henney was Deputy Director of the NCI.

In addition to being an active member of many professional societies, Dr. Henney has been the President of the United States Pharmacopeial Convention, a member of the Advisory Committee to the Director for the National Institutes of Health, a member of the National Advisory Research Resources Council, and a member of the American Cancer Society National Board of Directors. She has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Lovelace Respiratory Institute, the Kansas Health Foundation, and the Kansas State University Cancer Center. Dr. Henney also has served on an Advisory Committee for The Commonwealth Fund and as a consultant to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at Manchester College.

Dr. Henney is a graduate of Indiana University School of Medicine and Manchester College. She completed her medical internship at St. Vincent's Hospital, and her residency at Georgia Baptist Hospital. Dr. Henney was a Fellow in Medical Oncology at M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, and completed graduate medical work at the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program at NCI. She has also completed management training at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

In addition to other distinguished honors, Dr. Henney was recently given an Honorary Fellowship from the American College of Healthcare Executives. She also received the Indiana University Medical School Distinguished Alumni Award in 1998, the Manchester College Alumni Award in 1996, and was a member of the Leadership New Mexico Inaugural Class in 1996-1997. Dr. Henney received the Public Health Service Commendation Medal in 1979 and 1981, and the Commissioner's Special Citation in 1994. Most recently, Dr. Henney has received the Jacobs Institute's Excellence in Women's Health Award and the Public Health Leadership Award from the National Organization for Rare Disorders.

 

*The post of commissioner was vacant from Jan. 19, 2001 until November 2002. Bernard A. Schwetz served as acting principal deputy commissioner from Jan. 21, 2001 until Feb. 24, 2002. At that time, Lester M. Crawford Jr. was appointed deputy commissioner and he headed the agency until Mark McClellan was appointed commissioner in November 2002. With Dr. McClellan's departure in March 2004, Dr. Crawford was again named to lead FDA, this time as acting commissioner.

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