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Schweitzer Fellowship

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The History of the albert schweitzer fellowship

Our Timeline

Supporters of Dr. Albert Schweitzer established the Fellowship in the United States to provide material and financial support for his hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon, especially as World War II disrupted supply lines to Africa.

Albert Schweitzer is awarded Nobel Peace Prize for his altruism, reverence for life, and tireless humanitarian work.

The Fellowship continues to raise funds and awareness for Schweitzer’s humanitarian mission. During this period, Schweitzer’s philosophy of “Reverence for Life” gained global prominence.

Inspired by Schweitzer’s model of service and ethics, the Fellowship begins to shift toward engaging U.S. medical students in community service and humanitarian leadership at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital through three-month rotations.

The U.S. Schweitzer Fellowship Program launches with a two-day “Reverence for Life” symposium in Boston. The symposium culminated in a concert featuring the Longwood Symphony Orchestra with performances by violinist Lynn Chang and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. This event marked the beginning of Fellowship as a structured, co-curricular, year-long program for graduate and professional students to design and implement community-based health projects.

Additional Fellowship sites open across the country, starting with North Carolina and then Chicago. Ultimately, ASF grows nationwide, partnering with dozens of academic institutions, reaching hundreds of community organizations, and impacting the careers of thousands of Fellows. The Fellows for Life alumni network begins to take shape.

Fellowship sites expand leadership development, interdisciplinary learning, and community partnership models. Projects increasingly demonstrate long-term sustainability, with more than 70% continuing beyond the Fellowship year.

ASF deepens collaborative work across sites, builds a more unified national identity, and expands support for Fellows for Life, now more than 4,500 strong.
The History of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship

Our Timeline

1940 - Founding of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship

Supporters of Dr. Albert Schweitzer established the Fellowship in the United States to provide material and financial support for his hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon, especially as World War II disrupted supply lines to Africa.

1950s–1970s - Growing U.S. Support for Schweitzer’s Work

The Fellowship continues to raise funds and awareness for Schweitzer’s humanitarian mission. During this period, Schweitzer’s philosophy of “Reverence for Life” gained global prominence.

1970s–1980s - Evolution Toward Leadership and Service

Inspired by Schweitzer’s model of service and ethics, the Fellowship begins to shift toward engaging U.S. medical students in community service and humanitarian leadership at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital through three-month rotations.

1990 - Launch of the Modern Schweitzer Fellowship Program

The first formal U.S. Schweitzer Fellowship site launches in Boston, creating a structured, year-long program for graduate and professional students to design and implement community-based service projects.

1990s–2010s - National Expansion

Additional Fellowship sites open across the country, starting with North Carolina and then Chicago. Ultimately, ASF grows nationwide, partnering with dozens of academic institutions, reaching hundreds of community organizations, and impacting the careers of thousands of Fellows. The Fellows for Life alumni network begins to take shape.

2010s - Increasing Impact & Sustainability

Fellowship sites expand leadership development, interdisciplinary learning, and community partnership models. Projects increasingly demonstrate long-term sustainability, with more than 70% continuing beyond the Fellowship year.

2020s - Strengthening the National Network

ASF deepens collaborative work across sites, builds a more unified national identity, and expands support for Fellows for Life, now more than 4,500 strong.
the albert schweitzer fellowship

Board of Directors

Samuel Bradley Jr., DSW

New Orleans Schweitzer Fellow for Life 2012

Board Chair
Associate Dean, Boston College School of Social Work

Joseph O’Donnell, MD

Senior Medical Director, Promontory Therapeutics; Emeritus Professor, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth

Chris Bauer, MTS

Community Director, MassChallenge

Erica Pan, MD, MPH

Boston Schweitzer Fellow for Life 1993

Director, California Department of Public Health

Christopher Castaneda, MD

Chicago Schweitzer Fellow for Life 2013

Community Faculty, El Paso Psychiatric Center and Texas Tech Health Sciences Center of El Paso

Rachel Reichlin, MPH, MSN, RN

Chicago Schweitzer Fellow for Life 2006

Founder & Principal, Health Justice Partners

Pritesh Gandhi, MD, MPH

Boston Schweitzer Fellow for Life 2007

Chief Health Equity & Community Impact Officer, CommonSpirit

Alice Thompson, MSW

CEO, BFDI Educational Services, Inc.

Tim Lahey, MD, MMSC

North Carolina Schweitzer Fellow for Life 1997

Board Secretary
Director of Ethics, University of Vermont Medical Center

Stefan Kertesz, MD

Lambaréné Schweitzer Fellow for Life

Professor of Medicine, University of Alabama School of Medicine

Lachlan Forrow, MD

Lambaréné Schweitzer Fellow for Life 1982

Board Chair Emeritus
Harvard Medical School

the albert schweitzer fellowship

Meet Our Staff

Rachel Gold, MA

Executive Director

Zahidul Islam

Data Intern

River Reinertsen-Forehand

Program Associate

Jasmine Cherifi

Graduate Intern
A Special thank You To

National ASF’s Supporters

The National Schweitzer Fellowship and the ASF chapters depend entirely on contributions from values-aligned individuals, foundations, institutions, and corporations. We are incredibly grateful to our partners who see, like us, the value of improving the health of communities by developing leaders who create enduring impact through collaboration, compassion, and authentic partnership.

We are grateful to our partners nationwide who support the operations of our local and regional ASF chapters.

If you or your organization, foundation, corporation, or institution wants to partner with us to enact our shared values, please reach out at giving@schweitzerfellowship.org or call (918) 728-1652.

If you’d like to make an individual contribution today, click here.

Inspired by Gerald F. Fitzgerald’s firsthand experience at Albert Schweitzer’s hospital, the Fitzgerald Fund supports the U.S. Schweitzer Fellowship – investing in developing a generation of leaders equipped to translate Reverence for Life into action.

Our Commitment to Accountability

financial information

The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (ASF) is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization recognized by the IRS under section 501(c)(3). ASF’s EIN is 13-1982786. You can find our Form 990 filings here.

View Our Recent 990 Forms