Uploaded March 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Dr. Fauci speaks with Smithsonian Regent David M. Rubenstein on the 1981 “ominous” emergence of HIV/AIDS—a major focus of his work over the past forty years.

The conversation was part of the March 2, 2021 Great Americans Award Program when Dr. Fauci became the seventh recipient of the National Museum of American History’s Great Americans Medal. The Great Americans Medal is awarded for lifetime contributions embodying American ideas and ideals, and honors individuals who have not only made a lasting impact in their fields, but whose philanthropic and humanitarian endeavors set them apart.

Watch the full program at youtube.com/watch?v=6D8jlW5nd6A
View more Great Americans videos at: https://s.si.edu/GreatAmericans
For more on the Great Americans Medal and its recipients, visit https://greatamericans.si.edu./