Person speaking at a podium during PAS 2025 conference, wearing a dark suit and red tie, with two microphones and a laptop visible; blue curtain backdrop and ceiling lights in the background.

FOPO Joseph W. St. Geme, Jr. Leadership Award

The FOPO Joseph W. St. Geme, Jr. Leadership Award, presented by the Federation of Pediatric Organizations (FOPO), was established in honor of Dr. St. Geme, to recognize a pediatrician who is a role model for others to emulate as a clinician, an educator, and/or an investigator. 

Recipients of this award have had a record of broad and sustained contributions to pediatrics that have had or will have a major impact on child health. Most importantly, the award recognizes those individuals who have “created a future” within the field.

The member societies of the FOPO established an endowment fund for what is now the Joseph W. St. Geme, Jr. Leadership Award. Dr. St. Geme’s stature in pediatrics was reflected by his meaningful participation in all facets of pediatrics as demonstrated by the sponsorship of this award by the FOPO member organizations.

Award

  • One recipient is selected annually 
  • Formal recognition at the PAS Meeting
Two individuals standing together in front of a blue curtain backdrop at a conference; one person is holding a large plaque with gold text, and both are wearing formal attire with visible lanyards.

Eligibility Criteria

  • The individual must be a pediatrician who is perceived as a role model for others to emulate, as a clinician, an educator, and/or an investigator
  • The individual must be a leader who has “created a future” for pediatrics and for children and has played an active role in one or more organizations sponsoring this award
  • The individual should preferably have a record of broad sustained contributions to pediatrics that have had or will have a major impact on child health
  • The individual must be currently active in pediatrics. *what defines “active” is at the discretion of each of the 7 organizations
  • The individual can be retired member of any of the pediatric organizations sponsoring this award
  • The individual must not be an active FOPO Board member. Full board list: https://fopo.org/leadership/

Nomination Requirements

  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • One primary nomination letter from primary nominator from the pediatric community describing why their candidate meets the St. Geme criteria
  • Up to two additional letters of support (these can include any extenuating circumstances as to why the candidate should be selected or a summary of multiple support letters)

Selection Process

  • Nominations are submitted to SPR
  • SPR Executive Council reviews nominations and selects two candidates to be submitted to FOPO
  • The Committee for the FOPO Joseph W. St. Geme, Jr. Leadership Award will be responsible for nominee selection
  • The FOPO Board will be solely responsible for recipient selection
  • The award will be presented to one individual annually at the PAS Meeting
  • Members of the selection committee cannot nominate or support any nominations

Current Recipient

Pediatrician Dr. James Perrin is named the 2025 recipient of the Joseph W. St. Geme, Jr. Leadership Award by the Federation of Pediatric Organizations (FOPO).

LEARN More
Black and white image of a person wearing glasses, a suit jacket, dress shirt, and tie, with trees in the background.
  • Sam Katz, MD – 1988
  • Robert Haggerty, MD – 1989
  • Frank Oski, MD – 1990
  • Lewis Barness, MD – 1991
  • Morris Green, MD – 1992
  • Abraham Rudolph, MD – 1993
  • Vincent Fulginiti, MD – 1994
  • Ralph Feigin, MD – 1995
  • Jimmy Simon, MD – 1996
  • Errol Alden, MD – 1997
  • Catherine DeAngelis, MD – 1998
  • James Stockman, MD – 1999
  • Evan Charney, MD – 2000
  • Russell Chesney, MD – 2001
  • Walter Tunnessen, MD – 2002
  • Thomas Boat, MD – 2003
  • Myron Genel, MD – 2004
  • Robert Kelch, MD – 2005
  • Carol Berkowitz, MD – 2006
  • Richard Behrman, MD – 2007
  • Douglas Jones, MD – 2008
  • Kenneth Roberts, MD – 2009
  • Stephen Ludwig, MD – 2010
  • George Lister, MD – 2011
  • Gail McGuinness, MD – 2012
  • Renee Jenkins, MD – 2013
  • Lewis First, MD – 2014
  • Barry Zuckerman, MD – 2015
  • David Kendall Stevenson, MD – 2016
  • Carol Carraccio, MD – 2017
  • Mark A. Schuster, MD, PhD, FAAP  – 2018
  • F. Bruder Stapleton, MD – 2019
  • Joseph St. Geme, III, MD – 2020
  • Frederick P. Rivara, MD, MPH – 2021
  • Fernando S. Mendoza, MD, MPH – 2022
  • Elena Fuentes-Afflick, MD, MPH – 2023