Harvard Official Testifies About Experiments

A Harvard Medical School dean testified yesterday during a Senate committee hearing at the Fernald State School, where Harvard scientists conducted radiation experiments on retarded students in the 1940s and 50s.

Dr. James Adelstein, executive dean for academic programs at the Medical School, spoke at the school in Waltham, Mass., at a special hearing led by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy '54-'56, who chairs the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources.

Adelstein, who was speaking for the University, would not discuss his testimony with reporters, his secretary said.

Jane Corlette, Harvard's acting vice president for government, community and public affairs, elaborated on Adelstein's presence in an interview yesterday.

"We wanted to describe what we're doing and to go on the record and to express our sympathy and concern for the family of the people involved," Corlette said. "We are very concerned about what might have happened to them in the past."

The Crimson first reported last week that Clemens E. Benda, a Medical School faculty member until 1964 and chief physician at the Fernald School, led tests in which retarded students were fed radioactive milk with their breakfast cereal. Benda died in 1975.

"We felt it was important that we be there," Corlette said. "We certainly don't yet have any sense of the full picture. We do know there was some Harvard involvement starting with Dr. Benda, and since we have been involved we wanted to be there."

Margaret L. Dale, an attorney who works in the Medical School's Office for Research Issues, also attended the hearing, according to Harvard and MIT officials who were at the meeting. Dale could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Harvard officials, including President Neil L. Rudenstine, have declined to discuss any possible University liability for the tests.

Two former Fernald students testified at yesterday's hearing that they did not know they were given small amounts of radiation in their food.

Austin LaRocque, a former Fernald student, toldthe panel that he was not informed of theradiation when he participated in the experiments.

"I absolutely was not told," LaRocque said inan interview after the hearing.

LaRocque said he was pleased that Harvardattended the hearing. "They showed up and facedthe music," he said.

Kennedy and Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), whoalso attended the hearing, expressed shock at thetestimony of LaRocque and the other former Fernaldstudent.

"Last month, the nation was shocked to learnthat in the years after World War II, the federalgovernment sponsored radiation experiments onhuman subjects without their consent," Kennedysaid in his opening remarks.

"It is already clear that a number of theseexperiments took place in Massachusetts, includingsome here at the Fernald School where our SenateCommittee is meeting today," Kennedy said.

Corlette said Kennedy's staff contacted Harvardabout the hearings and that Harvard elected tosent Adelstein because of his expertise inradiology. She also stressed that Harvard stilldoes not have a full sense of its participation inthe experiments.

Fernald residents who participated in the testsfour decades ago were told by Harvard and MITscientists that they were members of the school's"Science Club." They were not told of theradiation and were rewarded for theirparticipation with candy, according to experts whohave reviewed the studies.

Harvard spokesperson Joseph Wrinn, who attendedthe hearing, said Adelstein addressed the panelfor about five minutes.

"He addressed the people there, expressedsympathy for students and families and he said hecould imagine how upsetting the past couple ofweeks must have been," Wrinn said.

Adelstein spoke of Harvard's investigation ofits participation in the experiments, discussingits ongoing probe of University records, accordingto Wrinn. Adelstein also spoke of Benda and hisaffiliation with Harvard, Wrinn said.

"We intend to get answers," Kennedy said. "Wewant to know what was done in Massachusetts and inevery other state where these experiments wereconducted. We want to know what records exist, howgreat the dangers were, how much consent, if any,was obtained from the research, and how much harmwas done."

"Once we have this information, we can enactlegislation to help the victims and prevent anyrepetition of these abominable practices," Kennedysaid.

George J. Annas, director of the law, medicineand ethics program at the Boston University Schoolof Medicine and Public Health, said the hearings"went well. They produced a lot a valid,interesting and useful information."

Annas said Adelstein testified that theexperiments at Fernald should not have happenedand, under present research standards, could nothappen today.

Annas also said he was encouraged by Kennedy'sproposal to establish a national commission toinvestigate nuclear tests of the Cold War era.

Corlette said Harvard is continuing its"enormous record-seeking operation" to determinethe extent of its involvement in the Fernaldexperiments and other radiation experiments of the1940s and 1950s.

"Adelstein said we were taking it seriously andwe were concerned and we wanted to describe whatprocess we've put into place to get to the bottomof this," Corlette said.

Echoing other University officials, Corlettesaid Harvard's record search has been slowedbecause the files--most of which date back fourdecades--are scattered throughout Harvard, itsaffiliated teaching hospitals and otherinstitutions.

"It's a very huge operation," Corlette said.

MIT is conducting a similar internalinvestigation but has also been slowed by poorrecord-keeping, Ken Campbell, the director of theMIT news office, said yesterday.

Dr. J. David Lister, an MIT physicist, wasasked on December 28 by the president of MIT tohead up the institute's probe into theexperiments, Campbell said.

Lister was at the Fernald hearing yesterday butcould not be reached for comment last night.

Dr. Kenneth Ryan, a Harvard Medical Schoolfaculty member and obstetrician at Brigham andWomen's Hospital, also attended the hearings. Ryanwas present in his capacity as a medical ethicistand not as a Harvard delegate, Corlette said.

Ryan was out of his office all day yesterdayand could not be reached for comment.

Another hearing has been scheduled for nextTuesday in Washington D.C. on Cold War eraradiation experiments. Harvard has not yet beenasked to attend that hearing, Corlette said.

Thirteen experts--including Adelstein andRyan--composed three panels at the hearing. Othermembers included professors from MIT andrepresentatives from the state Department ofMental Retardation, the Department of Defense, theVeterans' Administration and the EnergyDepartment

Austin LaRocque, a former Fernald student, toldthe panel that he was not informed of theradiation when he participated in the experiments.

"I absolutely was not told," LaRocque said inan interview after the hearing.

LaRocque said he was pleased that Harvardattended the hearing. "They showed up and facedthe music," he said.

Kennedy and Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), whoalso attended the hearing, expressed shock at thetestimony of LaRocque and the other former Fernaldstudent.

"Last month, the nation was shocked to learnthat in the years after World War II, the federalgovernment sponsored radiation experiments onhuman subjects without their consent," Kennedysaid in his opening remarks.

"It is already clear that a number of theseexperiments took place in Massachusetts, includingsome here at the Fernald School where our SenateCommittee is meeting today," Kennedy said.

Corlette said Kennedy's staff contacted Harvardabout the hearings and that Harvard elected tosent Adelstein because of his expertise inradiology. She also stressed that Harvard stilldoes not have a full sense of its participation inthe experiments.

Fernald residents who participated in the testsfour decades ago were told by Harvard and MITscientists that they were members of the school's"Science Club." They were not told of theradiation and were rewarded for theirparticipation with candy, according to experts whohave reviewed the studies.

Harvard spokesperson Joseph Wrinn, who attendedthe hearing, said Adelstein addressed the panelfor about five minutes.

"He addressed the people there, expressedsympathy for students and families and he said hecould imagine how upsetting the past couple ofweeks must have been," Wrinn said.

Adelstein spoke of Harvard's investigation ofits participation in the experiments, discussingits ongoing probe of University records, accordingto Wrinn. Adelstein also spoke of Benda and hisaffiliation with Harvard, Wrinn said.

"We intend to get answers," Kennedy said. "Wewant to know what was done in Massachusetts and inevery other state where these experiments wereconducted. We want to know what records exist, howgreat the dangers were, how much consent, if any,was obtained from the research, and how much harmwas done."

"Once we have this information, we can enactlegislation to help the victims and prevent anyrepetition of these abominable practices," Kennedysaid.

George J. Annas, director of the law, medicineand ethics program at the Boston University Schoolof Medicine and Public Health, said the hearings"went well. They produced a lot a valid,interesting and useful information."

Annas said Adelstein testified that theexperiments at Fernald should not have happenedand, under present research standards, could nothappen today.

Annas also said he was encouraged by Kennedy'sproposal to establish a national commission toinvestigate nuclear tests of the Cold War era.

Corlette said Harvard is continuing its"enormous record-seeking operation" to determinethe extent of its involvement in the Fernaldexperiments and other radiation experiments of the1940s and 1950s.

"Adelstein said we were taking it seriously andwe were concerned and we wanted to describe whatprocess we've put into place to get to the bottomof this," Corlette said.

Echoing other University officials, Corlettesaid Harvard's record search has been slowedbecause the files--most of which date back fourdecades--are scattered throughout Harvard, itsaffiliated teaching hospitals and otherinstitutions.

"It's a very huge operation," Corlette said.

MIT is conducting a similar internalinvestigation but has also been slowed by poorrecord-keeping, Ken Campbell, the director of theMIT news office, said yesterday.

Dr. J. David Lister, an MIT physicist, wasasked on December 28 by the president of MIT tohead up the institute's probe into theexperiments, Campbell said.

Lister was at the Fernald hearing yesterday butcould not be reached for comment last night.

Dr. Kenneth Ryan, a Harvard Medical Schoolfaculty member and obstetrician at Brigham andWomen's Hospital, also attended the hearings. Ryanwas present in his capacity as a medical ethicistand not as a Harvard delegate, Corlette said.

Ryan was out of his office all day yesterdayand could not be reached for comment.

Another hearing has been scheduled for nextTuesday in Washington D.C. on Cold War eraradiation experiments. Harvard has not yet beenasked to attend that hearing, Corlette said.

Thirteen experts--including Adelstein andRyan--composed three panels at the hearing. Othermembers included professors from MIT andrepresentatives from the state Department ofMental Retardation, the Department of Defense, theVeterans' Administration and the EnergyDepartment