In Memoriam – William D. Bechill
Nation’s First Commissioner on Aging

The Administration on Aging expresses its condolences to the family of William D. Bechill, the first federal commissioner on aging who passed away on March 23, 2007. Mr. Bechill was appointed commissioner by President Johnson in 1965 when the Administration on Aging was established. He later became chair of the Maryland Commission on Aging, serving from 1996 to 2003. Commissioner Bechill's teaching and research interests were national and state policy regarding income maintenance, long-term care services, senior centers, the needs of minority aged populations and the evolution of the Older Americans Act, which he helped write.

Summit on Global Aging

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice addressed the Summit on Global Aging on March 15 in Washington, DC. The United States convened the Summit on Global Aging to catalyze greater international dialogue and encourage coordinated international studies about the health, economic, social, and security implications of aging around the world. A joint Department of State and Department of Health and Human Services report on global aging was released at the Summit.

Additional Information:
Remarks by Secretary Rice
Remarks by Secretary Leavitt
Global Aging Report

Assistant Secretary Josefina G. Carbonell addresses 2007 Joint Conference of the American Society on Aging/National Council on Aging in Chicago, Illinois

Josefina G. Carbonell, Assistant Secretary for Aging, addressed a Critical Issues Session at the 2007 Joint Conference of the American Society on Aging/National Council on Aging in Chicago, Illinois. The Session, entitled "Choices for Independence: Modernization of the Aging Network" provided the Assistant Secretary with a key opportunity to discuss exciting efforts to modernize the health and long-term care systems in our country.

Click here for a Synopsis of the Assistant Secretary's remarks.