Former FDA Commissioner Crawford dead at 83

Former FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford, who was responsible for a highly consequential reorganization of FDA’s therapeutics oversight, led the agency’s management of veterinary drugs and twice served as acting commissioner, died on Dec. 23.

A veterinarian, Crawford served two stints as director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine from 1978 to 1980 and from 1982 to 1985. Born in rural Alabama, he infused public appearances as a senior FDA official, member of the Academy of Sciences and recipient of awards from academic institutions and governments from Paris to Budapest with jokes about barnyard animals. ...