At a time when the plague and excrement dumped on streets was a common sight in Europe's cities, Johann Peter Frank began to stress the importance of proper hygiene for the masses. With a cry for the state to be responsible for the public's health at all times, Frank guided his career as a writer, teacher, and physician through prominent positions which preached his life-altering improvements in cities throughout several countries. His determination to make these changes led him to be known as the founder of modern public health.

Born into a large family of German and French descent in Rotalben near Zweibucken in 1745, Frank attended catholic schools including the Piarist Latin School in Rastadt and the Jesuit School in Bockenheim, Lorraine. While in school, he was leaning towards music and song as a career with his soprano voice both of which he could not follow due to...