Medical Humanities - Health Studies Program

History and Legacy of Indiana Eugenics: 1907-2007

The "History and Legacy of Indiana Eugenics: 1907-2007" Project works to acknowledge the 100th anniversary of Indiana passing the world’s first eugenic sterilization legislation.

A number of activities took place in April 2007 in conjunction with this goal:

The historical marker commemorates vicitims of sterilization in Indiana. It faces the Indiana State Legislature.

Continuing Legal Education (CLE)

On Wednesday April 11, 2007, the Indiana Supreme Court’s “Legal History Series” hosted a CLE program on the topic of eugenics and the law. More than 160 judges, lawyers, professors, students, doctors and interested members of the public were welcomed to the “sold out” event by the Chief Justice, Randall Shepard in the Supreme Court Statehouse courtroom.

In the setting where the 1907 Indiana Law was found unconstitutional (although six years later another law replaced it), the audience heard panelists Paul Lombardo (Georgia State), Eric Meslin (IU Center for Bioethics), and Peter Marcus (IU Department of OB/GYN) address different elements of medicine, law and history in the eugenics movement from the early twentieth century to the present.

Visitors experience the exhibit, 'Fit to Breed: The History and Legacy of Eugenics, 1907-2007' at the Indiana State Library.

The exhibit explores the legacy of eugenics in Indiana through contemporary genetics concerns.

Exhibit Opening and Reception

On Wednesday evening, April 11, 2007, the Indiana State Library held a reception for the opening of an exhibit, “Fit to Breed? The History and Legacy of Indiana Eugenics, 1907-2007.” The product of faculty and students from the Herron School of Art and Design, the History Department and the Medical Humanities-Health Studies Program of the School of Liberal Arts, and the IU Center for Bioethics at IUPUI, plus eugenics scholars from the University of Michigan and Georgia State University, this exhibit traces the historical significance and legacy of eugenic laws and policies in Indiana.

Using original documents and materials from the State Archives and Library, a number of past practices are on display including: Eugenic Families: “Fit” and “Unfit,” Making Marriage Eugenic, Better Babies Contests, and the question of whether or not eugenics exists today. The exhibit will run to the middle of August 2007 and funding is provided by the Indiana University New Frontiers in the Arts and Humanities Program, supported by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, the IUPUI Solution Center, Riley Hospital for Children, and the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, (Indiana University School of Medicine).

State Health Commissioner Judith Monroe and sterilization victim Jamie Coleman unveil the marker.

Dr. Monroe and the project director, William H. Schneider, view the newly unveiled historical marker.

Symposium

On Thursday, April 12, 2007, a day-long symposium was held at the State Library on “Indiana and the Legacy of Eugenics, 1907-2007.” A combination of national and local speakers addressed issues of past and contemporary significance to a very mixed audience of about 100 people. A highlight of the symposium was remarks by Dr. Judith Monroe, Indiana State Health Commissioner, who expressed regret at the past practices of eugenics, including sterilizations for eugenic purposes at some of Indiana’s institutions. Funding for the symposium was provided by the Indiana University New Frontiers in the Arts and Humanities Program, supported by a grant from the Lilly Endowment.

As part of the symposium, Dr. Monroe helped dedicate a historical marker on the eugenic sterilization legislation. She unveiled the marker with the help of a woman who was sterilized during the period just prior to the repeal of the law in 1974. The marker is on the east lawn of the Indiana State Library.

Scholarly Activities

On Friday, April 13, 2007, fifteen scholars (historians, lawyers, ethicists, doctors) from around the country met at IUPUI for a workshop to discuss their research on the history of eugenics in several states and its relevance for contemporary genomic policy. With funding from the National Human Genome Institute (NIH), the scholars will write and revise papers to be published in a volume slated for completion in 2008.

For further information about The "History and Legacy of Indiana Eugenics: 1907-2007" Project please visit the official site: http://eugenics.iupui.edu

Contact Information
Medical Humanities - Health Studies Program
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
425 University Boulevard, Cavanaugh Hall Room 406
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5140
(317) 274-4740