Morton Shelly Hilbert (January 3, 1917 – December 24, 1998) was a professor of public health, environmentalist, and co-founder of Earth Day that was first celebrated on April 22, 1970.

[4] His reports address a range of environmental health issues such as care of laboratory animals, air pollution, and sanitation in hospitals.

[5] Professor Hilbert worked with graduate students nationwide to develop increased interest and awareness about environmental issues.

As a result of his efforts, the first "Earth Day" demonstration in the U.S. took place on The University of Michigan campus in March 1970, which was followed by similar events across the country.

[8] He was elected president in 1976, and focused his tenure on promoting the importance of prevention, rather than corrective action, in managing environmental health.

[3] https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.66.1.99 Spanning the several decades of his career, he authored numerous articles on sanitation,[9] disease prevention,[10] housing,[11] and the environment.

and son Stephen Hilbert, were honored guests of the Dalai Lama at the Earth Day celebration in Ann Arbor.