This Classic article is a reprint of the original work by Frederick L. Hoffman, LLD, A Plan for a More Effective Federal and State Health Administration. An accompanying biographical sketch on Frederick L. Hoffman, LLD, is available at DOI 10.1007/s11999-009-1001-9. The Classic Article is ©1919 by the American Public Health Association and is reprinted with permission from Hoffman FL. A plan for a more effective federal and state health administration. Am J Public Health. 1919;9:161–169. The article can also be accessed on the American Journal of Public Health web site at http://www.ajph.org/cgi/reprint/9/3/161-a.