The Euthanasia Society of America was founded in 1938 to promote

euthanasia Euthanasia (from el, εὐθανασία 'good death': εὖ, ''eu'' 'well, good' + θάνατος, ''thanatos'' 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different eut ...

. It was co-founded by

Charles Francis Potter Charles Francis Potter (October 28, 1885 – October 4, 1962) was an American Unitarian minister, theologian, and author. In 1923 and 1924, he became nationally known through a series of debates with John Roach Straton, a fundamentalist Chris ...

and Ann Mitchell. Alice Naumberg (mother of

Ruth P. Smith Ruth Proskauer Smith (August 14, 1907 – January 22, 2010) was an American advocate for reproductive rights. Personal life Smith was born Ruth Proskauer on August 14, 1907, in Deal, New Jersey, to Joseph M. Proskauer and Alice Naumburg and grew ...

) also helped to found the group. The group initially supported both voluntary and involuntary euthanasia. Many of its early board of directors (including co-founders Potter and Mitchell,

Clarence Cook Little Clarence Cook Little (October 6, 1888 – December 22, 1971) was an American genetics, cancer, and tobacco researcher and academic administrator, as well as a eugenicist. Early life C. C. Little was born in Brookline, Massachusetts and attend ...

Robert Latou Dickinson Robert Latou Dickinson (1861–1950) was an American obstetrician and gynecologist, surgeon, maternal health educator, artist, sculptor and medical illustrator, and research scientist. Early life Robert Latou Dickinson was born on February 21, 1 ...

and Oscar Riddle), as well as prominent supporters of the movement (such as Clarence Darrow, Sherwood Anderson, Abraham Wolbarst,

Madison Grant Madison Grant (November 19, 1865 – May 30, 1937) was an American lawyer, zoologist, anthropologist, and writer known primarily for his work as a eugenicist and conservationist, and as an advocate of scientific racism. Grant is less noted f ...

William J. Robinson William Josephus Robinson (December 8, 1867 – January 6, 1936) was an American physician, sexologist and birth control advocate. He was Chief of the department of Genito-Urinary Diseases at Bronx Hospital Dispensary, and editor of the '' Ame ...

and

Willystine Goodsell Willystine Goodsell (January 8, 1870 May 31, 1962) was a historian and feminist writer who was a professor of history and philosophy at Teachers College, Columbia University. The AERA Women in Education SIG Award, founded in 1981, is also named ...

) were also eugenicists; many of these supported gassing those considered to have a developmental disability. However, in 1941 Mitchell condemned the Nazi involuntary euthanasia programme, adding: "we are definitely opposed to the illegal, unregulated and surreptitious 'mercy-killings' by individuals, however much we may sympathize with the humane motive which often actuates them". In 1967, the group helped

Luis Kutner Luis Kutner (June 9, 1908 – March 1, 1993), was a US human rights activist, FBI informant and lawyer who was on the National Advisory Council of the US branch of Amnesty International during its early years and created the concept of a livin ...

promote the first living will in a speech to the Society. In 1974, the group was renamed the Society for the Right to Die and later merged with

Concern for Dying The Euthanasia Educational Fund was established by of the Euthanasia Society of America in 1967 as a tax-exempt organization under US law. It later renamed itself the Euthanasia Educational Council in 1972, and Concern for Dying in 1978. The last ...

, the two becoming

Choice in Dying A choice is the range of different things from which a being can choose. The arrival at a choice may incorporate motivators and models. For example, a traveler might choose a route for a journey based on the preference of arriving at a given ...

in 1991.

References

{{reflist 1938 establishments in the United States Organizations established in 1938 Euthanasia in the United States