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The Leo J. Geppert Award

• Past Recipients of the Leo J. Geppert Award

The Leo J Geppert Award, given by the Uniformed Services Section of the American Academy of Pediatric, is an annual citation and pursue for the best paper by a Uniformed Services pediatrician for research in primary pediatric care.

This award was first presented in San Antonio, Texas in March 1997.

The award is named in honor of Dr Leo J Geppert for his many contributions to military pediatrics, as the first Chief of Pediatrics at Brooke Army Medical Center, and Chief of the first Department of Defense Pediatrics Residency Program.

Leo J Geppert
Colonel, Medical Corps, US Army (Ret)

Leo J Geppert was born on 26 January 1915 in Vermillion, South Dakota.  After completing his BA in chemistry at University of South Dakota Medical School, receiving a Masters Degree in Biochemistry in 1937.  In 1939 he completed medical school on a full scholarship at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and entered his pediatric internship at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri.  His residency training, completed in 1941, was at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr Geppert was commissioned as a 2LT in the US Army through the ROTC in 1941.  His initial assignment was at the Medical Replacement Center, Barkley, Texas as a training officer.  During World War II he was assigned as the Executive Officer and Commander of the 309th Medical Battalion attached to the 84th Infantry Division.  This included service during the infamous “Battle of the Bulge.”

As the first Chief of Pediatrics at Brooke Army Hospital from 1946 to 1952, he established the first pediatric service in an Army hospital.  From 1953 to 1955 he was Commander to the Tokyo General Dispensary in Tokyo, Japan, and as Theatre Consultants in Pediatrics, Armed Forces of the Far East.  In 1955 to 1958 he served as Chief of Pediatrics at Walter Reed Army Hospital.

While there he was involved in the diagnosis and treatment of such dignitaries as President Eisenhower’s grandchildren, Vice President Nixon’s children and the King of Saudi Arabia’s children.  Colonel Geppert returned to Brooke Army Medical Center as Chief of Pediatrics in 1958.           

He was an unpaid consultant to Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital for a number of years prior to his leaving the Army.   In 1964 he retired from the Army and accepted a position as Medical Director of the Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital.  He served as an unpaid consultant to Santa Rosa for a number of years prior to his leaving the Army.

In 1968 he went into private practice for one year.  He then became a staff physician for the State of Texas in San Antonio, Texas, continuing in this capacity until he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1979.

During his military career he received many awards and decorations, such as; Combat Medic Badge, Army Acommendation Medical (with clusters), Bronze Star for Valor, Legion of Merit, and a Special Award from the Association of Uniformed Pediatricians in 1978.

After a long illness COL Geppert died in San Antonio, Texas, on 8 November 1980.  He is buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.