1895 Booker T. Washington at the Atlanta Cotton Exposition,
outlines his dream for black economic development and gains support of
northern philanthropists, including Julius Rosenwald (President of
Sears, Roebuck and Company).
1900 Tuskegee educational experiment gains widespread support.
Rosenwald Fund provides monies to develop schools, factories,
businesses, and agriculture.
1915 Booker T. Washington dies; Robert Motin continues work.
1926 Health is seen as inhibiting development and major health
initiative is started. Syphilis is seen as major health problem.
Prevalence of 35 percent observed in reproductive age population.
1929 Aggressive treatment approach initiated with mercury and
bismuth. Cure rate is less than 30 percent; treatment requires
months and side effects are toxic, sometimes fatal.
1929 "Wall Street Crash"--economic depression begins.
1931 Rosenwald Fund cuts support to development projects.
Clark and Vondelehr decide to follow men left untreated due to lack of
funds in order to show need for treatment program.
1932 Follow-up effort organized into study of 399 men with
syphilis and 201 without. The men would be given periodic physical
assessments and told they were being treated. Motin agrees to
support study if " Tuskegee gets its full share of the credit" and black
professionals are involved (Dr. Dibble and Nurse Rivers are assigned to
study).
1934 First papers suggest health effects of untreated
syphilis.
1936 Major paper published. Study criticized because it
is not known if men are being treated. Local physicians asked to
assist and asked not to treat men. It was also decided to follow
the men until death.
1940 Efforts made to hinder men from getting treatment ordered
under the military draft effort.
1945 Penicillin accepted as treatment of choice for syphilis.
1947 USPHS establishes "Rapid Treatment Centers" to treat
syphilis; men in study are not treated, but syphilis declines.
1962 Beginning in 1947, 127 black medical students are rotated
through unit doing the study.
1968 Concern raised about ethics of study by Peter Buxtun and
others.
1969 CDC reaffirms need for study and gains local medical
societies' support (AMA and NMA chapters officially support continuation
of study).
1972 First news articles condemn studies. 1972 Study
ends. 1973 Congress holds hearings and a class-action lawsuit
is filed on behalf of the study participants. 1974 A $10
million out-of-court settlement is reached and the U.S. government
promised to give lifetime medical benefits and burial services to all
living participants. The Tuskegee Health Benefit Program (THBP)
was established to provide these services. 1975 Wives, widows
and offspring were added to the program. 1995 The program was
expanded to include health as well as medical benefits. 1997 On
May 16th President Clinton apologizes on behalf of the Nation.
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