Date: 1995-06-21
Speaker: JERRY HORN (republican)
Chamber: S

Celebrate Life Magazine. DEAR MR. HORN: With reference to your inquiry concerning the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. I will express my knowledge of the study as I know it to be. Some weeks before the County Medical Society Meeting of May 19. 1969. I received correspondence from Dr. Bill Brown at Emory University. U.S. Public Health Service. He was requesting a meeting with the County Medical Society to discuss an ongoing "study". Prior to this letter I had received an endorsement from Dr. Ira Myers who was the Alabama State Health Director calling my attention to the fact that I would be hearing from Dr. Brown. The meeting was organized and held at the then Torch Cafe some four miles outside Tuskegee. Prior to that time we held. our meetings at John Andrews Hospital on Tuskegee Institute Campus. At this meeting were apprised. myself and everyone there included. of an ongoing syphilis study that began in 1932 and was to run over a fortyyear period. This study consisted of a double blind study of treated and untreated male syphilis patients. This was the first that any physicians in the County Medical Society knew anything about this study. Dr. Brown made his presentation requesting that we endorse the continuation of the study. It was my feeling and belief that the study was ending within three years bringing it to its fortyyear period that was designed in the study. A list of the remaining patients in the study was given to each physician and I noted four or five of my patients that were on the list whom I had treated for latent syphilis not knowing that they were involved in the study. Members attending the meeting to the best of my knowledge were myself. Dr. Brown. a colleague of his. Dr. John Hume. -Dr. Thomas Calhoun. Dr. Howard Settler and Dr. Henry Foster. I sat at the end of the table and Dr. Foster sat some two chairs down from me on the left. The presentation was one conducted over a thirty to fortyfive minute period of time and it became our consensus that we would endorse the continuation of the study. What is striking to me about the fact that those members present as named were unaware of the study. however no future conversations were held at either meetings or with me. When the news broke in 1972 about the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and Dr. Fosters name came up in that he was greatly helpful in working out the logistics of seeing that patients were locatedand treated and I felt that from my knowledge to the news media that Dr. Foster was doing a great service and I still feel that way to this day. What concerned me was that he was at the meeting and voiced no objection to the continuation of the study and yet became outraged in 1972 when approached by members of the press and other interested parties concerning theTuskegee Syphilis Study. The minutes of the meeting have not been located and through talking to some other reporters it was determined that Dr. Howard. Settler. of course. was SecretaryTreasurer of the County Medical Society in 1969 and he stated that most recently. that his secretary had died and he had no idea where the minutes were. If I can be of any further service to you. please advise. Sincerely yours.