Below are resources including videos, reading recommendations, and more.
About the Experiments:
The Treatment, The Story of Those Who Died in the Cincinnati Radiation Tests by Dr. Martha Stephens
Dr. Stephens taught in the English Department for many years and was the whistleblower who exposed the experiments in 1971. Her book, The Treatment, is by far one of the best resources to learn and understand the depth of these experiments and their aftermath. There are a few copies at the UC libraries, and it is also available for sale through Duke University Press and some ebook platforms. Below is also a video that aired with the publication of her book.
Newsmakers Interview with Martha Stephens and Victims’ Family Members
Dan Hurley’s 2002 “Local 12 Newsmakers” interview with project whistleblower Martha Stephens and two children of project victim Maude Jacobs is available to view on youtube through the Public Library and Cincinnati and Hamilton County.
UC Student Presentation on Radiation Experiments
In 2022, UC History undergraduate student Divya Kumar presented on the UC radiation experiments and student efforts to push UC to build a more just memorial to the experiments’ victims. This presentation was part of the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library/Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions Summer Lunch and Learn Series.
Federal Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments – Final Report
Click below to read the Final Report prepared by the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments, a group empaneled by President Clinton to investigate the Cincinnati tests and several similar cases.
https://bioethicsarchive.georgetown.edu/achre/final/chap8.html
Search for Human Radiation Records Report
This 1997 report by the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Chemical and Biological Defense Programs of the United States Department of Defense was an attempt by the Department of Defense to document all funded radiation experiments undertaken by the department between 1944 and 1994. The report provides a general overview of all funded projects and details each project individually. The UC Radiation experiments are specifically covered in chapter two on pages 30-32. The report is held by the U.S. Library of Congress.
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA328642.pdf
“An Analysis of Informed Consent in the Cincinnati Radiation Experiments: 1960-1972” by Divya Kumar
Fall 2022 undergraduate history capstone which explores the issues of informed consent in the experiments in detail.
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About the Memorial:
“Radiation, Race, and Recognition” by Divya Kumar
This article was published in May of 2022 and breaks down the problematic history of the memorial. Click on the embedded page below to read.
WCPO9 Segment – 2017
In 2017, a now-unavailable anonymous blog post circulated which exposed the fact that the memorial was completely obscured by bushes. The attention drawn led to the bushes being cut back and renewed some community interest in the issue. Watch the video below to learn more.