Eugenics Organizations
In addition to the Eugenics Record Office (ERO), several national organizations promoted eugenics at professional and popular levels. The American Breeders Association (ABA) was established in 1903 as an outgrowth of the American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations. It was one of the first scientific organizations in the United States that recognized the importance of Mendel’s laws, and its Section on Eugenics was the first scientific body to support eugenic research.
With a membership of about 1,000 established scientists and agricultural breeders, the ABA played a major role in legitimizing the American eugenics movement but avoided popular campaigns and legislative lobbying. However, it shared members and officers with several other organizations that had wider social agendas - notably the Race Betterment Foundation, the Galton Society, and the American Eugenics Society (AES).
The Race Betterment Foundation was founded in 1911 in Battle Creek, Michigan with money from the Kellogg cereal fortune. The Foundation sponsored three national conferences on race betterment (1914, 1915, and 1928) and started its own eugenics registry in cooperation with the ERO. The Galton Society, founded in New York City in 1918, was the most overtly racist of the American eugenics organizations. Its members used physical anthropology to confirm their bigoted notions about the supposed superiority of the Nordic race.
Formed in 1923, AES quickly gave rise to 28 state committees that worked to bring eugenics into the mainstream of American life. Under the direction of Mary T. Watts, the AES education committee used state fairs to popularize eugenics. Exhibits illustrated Mendel’s laws and calculated the societal costs of continued breeding by “hereditary defectives,” while the Fitter Families Contests showed the results of breeding good human stock. AES also lobbied for broader use of intelligence tests on immigrants and students. For many years, the AES co-sponsored Eugenical News with the ERO.
Harry H. Laughlin, Superintendent of Eugenics Record Office, Cold Spring Harbor; President, American Eugenics Society, 1928-29
Harry H. Laughlin, Superintendent of Eugenics Record Office, Cold Spring Harbor; President, American Eugenics Society 1928-29
Harry Olson, Board of Directors, American Eugenics Society; Chief Judge of the Municipal Court of Chicago
Eugenics registry of the Race Betterment Foundation, Battle Creek, MI
Eugenics Research Association 16th Annual Meeting
Eugenics field workers meeting notes about hereditary behavior
W.M. Hays letter to Charles Davenport about inheritance in poultry
American Breeders Association report on new eugenics section
Program of the 8th annual meeting of the American Breeders Association
Minutes of the Eugenics Section, 8th annual meeting of the American Breeders Association, with resolution to organize immigration committeee
“Eugenics, a subject for investigation rather than instruction,” American Breeders Association Eugenics Section
American Breeders Association 8th Annual Meeting resolution to form permanent committee on immigration (with hand-written draft)
H. Laughlin letter to C. Davenport about the financial difficulties of the “Eugenical News”
“Gifts received by the Station for Experimental Evolution, May 1, 1904 to Oct. 1, 1905”
“Report of the president of the American Eugenics Society, Inc., June 26, 1926”
“Membership campaign” by Field Secretary, American Eugenics Society about how to recruit new members and answer questions “Proposed intineraries” of state fairs
Eugenics Record Office, lantern slide
“Stimulating Public Interest in the Feeble-Minded,” by E.R. Johnstone (address to the National Conferenceof Charities and Correction, 1916)
American Eugenics Society exhibit at Sesquicentennial Exposition, Philadelphia (”Mendel’s theater,” center; guinea pig coat color, right)
People, A Magazine for all the People (April 1931), American Eugenics Society, cover
The Swedish Nation, “The Swedish State-Institute for Race-Biological Investigation: An Account of its Origin” by Hjalmar Anderson
Eugenics Record Office (ERO) soon after construction
Eugenics Record Office, archives room with card index on far wall and field worker files on right
Stewart House, an existing Victorian structure that housed the Eugenics Record Office (ERO) 1910-1913 while new building was constructed next door
Eugenics Record Office, about 1925
Eugenics Record Office, interior with workers
Eugenics Record Office, Field Worker Training Class of 1913, with Harry H. Laughlin (1) and Charles B. Davenport (6)
Eugenics Record Office, Field Worker Training Class of 1913 (Laughlin in foreground, center, Davenport at blackboard, Stewart House in background)
Eugenics Record Office, Field Worker Training Class of 1913 (Davenport lecturing at blackboard)
Eugenics Record Office, Field Worker Training Class (Davenport lecturing)
Eugenics Record Office, Field Worker Training Class of 1914 (Davenport and Laughlin seated 3rd and 5th in front row)
Eugenics Record Office, Field Worker Training Class of 1916 (Davenport in front with Laughlin in rear with white tie)
Eugenics Record Office, Annual Meeting of the Eugenics Research Association, 1918 (Laughlin in front, Stewart House in background)
Eugenics Record Office, Field Worker Training Class of 1918 (Laughlin at back)
Eugenics Record Office, Field Worker Training Class of 1920 (postcard)
Field Worker Training Class of 1922 on field trip to Kings Park State Hospital (Laughlin on far right)
“Homokak Family: A Nut Study,” pedigree parody by Eugenics Record Office Field Worker Training Class of 1923
Harry H. Laughlin (far left) with International Federation of Eugenics Organizations at Stonehenge, England
Albert F. Blakeslee memo about procedures for answering mail after closure of the Eugenics Record Office
American Eugenics Society, program for “Round Table Conferences and Annual Meeting,” New York, 1936
American Eugenics Society, dinner invitation, program including Albert Wiggam and Frederick Osborn, New York
American Eugenics Society, invitation to “Conference on the Relation of Eugenics and the Church,” including Albert Wiggam, New York
American Eugenics Society, membership drive materials (cover letter to Albert Blakeslee, prospect list, and form letter)
Eugenics Research Association, notice of special meeting to change name to Association for Research in Human Heredity
Family study, Eugenics Record Office “Individual Analysis Card” and submitted photos
E.S. Gosney (Human Betterment Foundation) letter to L.I. Dublin (Metropolitan Life Insurance Company), about pending NY sterilization bill (5/8/1934)
“Human Sterilization,” Human Betterment Foundation
Eugenic sterilizations performed in US through 1932, Human Betterment Foundation
Eugenic Sterilizations (total) performed in US through 1932, Human Betterment Foundation, alternate
Eugenics Education Society of New South Wales luncheon in honor of C.B. Davenport (standing 2nd from left), Sydney, Australia (9/25/1914)
“Eugenics and Society” (The Galton Lecture given to the Eugenics Society), by Julian S. Huxley, Eugenics Review (vol 28:1)
“The Sixth Annual Meeting of the Eugenics Research Association,” July 21, 1918, Eugenical News (vol. 3)
“Report on the work of the Francis Galton Laboratory for National Eugenics, February1908-June 1909”
Minutes of Eugenics Records Office (London) Advisory Meeting (10/30/1905)
http://www.eugenicsarchive.org/html/eugenics/static/themes/19.html
Hereditary Disorders
Although Mendel’s laws were first rigorously tested in pea plants and fruit flies, evidence quickly mounted that they applied to all living things. Early in the 20th century, the first examples of recessive, dominant, and sex-linked inheritance were found in humans. Recessive inheritance was first revealed in alkaptonuria (1902), an enzyme deficiency that leads to cartilage degeneration, and albinism (1903). Dominant inheritance was discovered in brachydactyly (short fingers, 1905), congenital cataracts (1906), and Huntington’s chorea (1913). And sex-linked inheritance was discovered in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (1913), red-green color blindness (1914), and hemophilia (1916).
Eugenicists made early contributions to our understanding of some of these disorders by constructing pedigrees of affected families. However, these disorders have easily definable symptoms (phenotypes) and are caused by single genes. Eugenicists were wrong to use simple Mendelian schemes to explain complex disorders and traits, whose phenotypes are difficult to define and which are now known to involve multiple genes or are influenced by the environment.
Eugenicists were especially concerned about hereditary blindness, because the institutionalized blind were considered a burden to society. The ophthamologist Lucien Howe conducted a study on hereditary blindness for the American Medical Association and lobbied for legislation to restrict the marriage of blind persons. Eugenicists considered epilepsy an inherited disorder, and many states sterilized epileptics to prevent its spread. This was another of the eugenicists’ misinformed stands — epilepsy’s causes are still not fully understood.
Today, we know of more than 5,000 single gene disorders in humans. Modern medicine views each disorder as discretely inherited; the inheritance of one disorder is unrelated to the inheritance of another disorder. Eugenics viewed disabilities as related symptoms of “bad stock.” Though eugenicists believed that immorality or poor living habits were inherited, they also thought that “degenerate” traits were inherited together. Eugenicists were generally less concerned about the people affected by genetic disorders than about the threat such people posed to the purity of the national “germ plasm.”
A.L. Treadwell, Vassar College, letter to Eugenics Record Office, about student pedigree of deafness and insanity (”queerness”)
Field worker report on dementia praecox (schizophrenia) at King’s Park Hospital, by Laura Teitelbaum
Family tree folder recording inheritance of asthma
“A family with cancer. Mother and six children died of cancer,” pedigree and family history of stomach cancer
Family-tree folder recording inheritance of allergies,
longevity, civic leadership, and other traits
Single-trait sheet recording inheritance of “civic leadership, combined with religious leadership”
Single-trait sheet recording inheritance of “allergies (eczema, asthma, skin disruptions, etc.)”
Single-trait sheet recording inheritance of longevity
Blindness pedigree from the records of the Perkins Institution
Congenital cataract pedigree
“An act to amend the domestic relations law, in relation to prevention of hereditary blindness”, New York State Senate
“Harvard scientist wants married couples bonded,” by Sam Smith, Boston Sunday Post
“Reasons for a study of hereditary blindness,” report to American Medical Association
“The control by law of hereditary blindness”
“The Howe Laboratory of Opthalmology,” Eugenical News
National Committee for the Prevention of Blindness
Albinism pedigree by Charles Davenport
Lamellar cataract pedigree by London Medical Office
Hemophilia pedigree by Dr. Bess Lloyd
Cost of caring for 27 blind pupils at Missouri school
Opthamologists responses to survey seeking support for hereditary blindness law
Owen Adair letter to Oregon physicians, about bill requiring doctor’s certification for marriage license
“Concerning a law to lessen hereditary blindness,” by Lucien Howe, American Opthalmological Society Journal
Lucien Howe letter to Harry Laughlin, about AMA study on hereditary blindness
“The relation of hereditary eye defects to genetics and eugenics,” by Lucien Howe, JAMA
Eugenics Record Office and AMA survey about hereditary blindness
Table of schools for the blind and costs per pupil, AMA/Eugenics Record Office study
“Number of blind in several states,” AMA and Eugenics Record Office study
Lucien Howe letter to Harry Laughlin about Mendel’s Centennial
Lucien Howe response to Charles Davenport and Harry Laughlin, about sterilization, marriage and blindness
Harry Laughlin response to Lucien Howe about immigration and blindness prevention
AMA/Eugenics Record Office survey about hereditary blindness
Eugenics field workers meeting notes about hereditary behavior
“The increase of criminals, mental defectives, epileptics and degenerates,” Report of the Commission
Epilepsy references
“Inheritance of specific iso-agglutinins in the human blood”
“The Catlin Mark, the inheritance of an unusual opening in the parietal bones”
Heredity of harelip and cleft palate
“Heredity in epilepsy,” Fig. 31
“’Cretinous’ dwarf, representing the achondroplastic, short-legged type,”
“Multiple neurofibromatosis and its inheritance,” by S. A. Preiser and C. B. Davenport, Eugenics Record Office
“A bibliography of hereditary eye defects,” by L. Howe
Pedigree: “Familial aniridia”
“Family pedigree showing hereditary cataract”
“Blond Indians of the Darien jungle,” by R.O. Marsh, World’s Work
Photos of albino Indians of Panama, submitted by R.O. Marsh to the Eugenics Record Office
“Muscular atrophy,” flash cards on genetic defects
“Cretinism,” flash cards on genetic defects
“Mongolian idiocy,” flash cards on genetic defects
“Feeble-mindness,” flash cards on genetic defects
“Spastic idiocy,” flash cards on genetic defects
“Savant idiocy,” flash card on genetic defects
“Mania depressus,” flash card on genetic defects
“Paranoia,” flash card on genetic defects
Three giants with pedigree and notes, circus acts
Lion man and woman, circus acts
“Baby Doll and The Three Fat Brothers”, circus acts
Three midgets, with notes, circus acts
Dwarves and midgets, with notes, circus acts
Alice Bounds (Bear Lady) and Mother, with notes, circus acts
Robert Wadlow, New York Times, giantism
“Paul Herold, giant,”
Londy Waigener, the tallest lady in the world
“Mary Bevan and her children,” acromegaly
“Mary Ann Bevan, the world’s ugliest woman,” acromegaly
“Dwarf and related normal chickens”
Mme. Abomah, giantism
C. Davenport response to B. Winslow, about various conditions — dwarfism
“Toney, alligator skin boy, Dreamland Circus side show, Coney Island,” with icthyosis a skin trait
“Susi, the elephant skin girl,” about icthyosis, skin trait
“Heredity of albinism, by C.B. Davenport”
C. Davenport letter to R. Roy, about albinism
Roy Family pedigree, about albinism
R. Roy letter to C. Davenport, about albinism
G. Huber letter to C. Davenport, about albinism
R. Roy and J. Kuhn letter to C. Davenport, about albinism
C. Davenport response to R. Roy, about albinism
C. Metz letter to H. Laughlin, about albinism
H. Laughlin letter to C. Metz, about albinism
H. Laughlin letter to Walsh, about albinism
Family affected by albinism
“Miss Lillian the albino”
“King C. Roy,” about albinism
Pedigree and photo of polydactyly, by Morris Steggerda
L. Snyder letter to C. Davenport, about polydactyly
“Lionel, half man half lion. At dreamland circus side show, coney island, N.Y.”
“The Story of My Life by Lionel, the Human Lion,” about hypertrichosis
Bearded woman with hypertrichosis
“The effect of orthodactyly”
“ Osawatomie State Hospital: case no. 12198. Diagnosis: psychosis with Huntington’s chorea”
Pedigree:” Osawatomie State Hospital: case no. 10246. Diagnosis: psychosis with Huntington’s chorea”
“State institutions making special provisions for epileptics — 1917”
“Pedigree of color blindness”
Huntington’s chorea pedigree
“A North Dakota dwarf and his sister”
Two boys with polydactyly.
“Heredity of the eye,” 3rd International Eugenics Conference
“The manner of inheritance of a sex-linked trait. Actual pedigree of hemophilia,” 3rd International Eugenics Conference
Letchworth Village “freak show”, 3rd International Eugenics Conference
“Clinic in human heredity” proposal by H. Laughlin
“Sample clinical cases” that can be used in eugenics research
Letter asking about heredity of cleft lip and palate
“Indiana Society for Mental Hygiene Bulletin No. 7” (July 1920), statistics on mental illness and feeblemindedness in institutions around the U.S.
Burmese dwarf at Ellis Island (Photograph by Augustus Sherman)
Russian giant at Ellis Island (Photograph by Augustus Sherman)
“Unfit Human Traits” and “Triangle of Life.”
Feebleminded girl, “The leading lady in the play. Quite a good actor but pretty low grade.”
Feebleminded girl, “A good looking well built girl. Tests about 8 mentally. Was picked up for prostitution...”
Feebleminded girl, “Not uncomely but awfully dumb.”
People (April 1931) news items: disputed quote by President Herbert Hoover, Senate tesitmony on birth control, use of eye color inheritance in courts
http://www.eugenicsarchive.org/html/eugenics/static/themes/1.html
We need to get back our healthcare. This won’t happen today or tomorrow but they’ve done it once, that we know of, one can see how it could happen again and broaden their “defects”.