Minnesota Eugenics Society
The Minnesota Eugenics Society was founded by Charles Dight in 1923. At the time it was created people did not understand the difference between inherited traits and learned traits. Even intelligence was believed to be inherited.
Throughout the world, race betterment was a popular idea. Sterilization was seen as a way to eliminate future insane, criminal and mentally disabled people, and eventually achieve an improved human race. |
"To spread abroad knowledge of the laws of heredity and principles of eugenics in order to promote RACE BETTERMENT, and to secure the passage and enforcement of eugenic laws to that end." - Excerpt from a promotional brochure for the Minnesota Eugenics Society
Campaign for Sterilization
Dight used the Society to promote his beliefs and to gain support for new laws. On Decemeber 24, 1924, the Minnesota Eugenics Society met to decide how best to introduce and increase support for a sterilization bill. Rather than looking to mental hospital physicians and program directors for support of the bill, he turned to newspapers and radio shows.
Although Dights' primary target was the public, he still received support for the bill from doctors and professionals. Elias Lyon, dean of the medical school at the University of Minnesota, was a supporter both of Dights' ideas and his proposed bill. There were many physicians who did not see the need to sterilize, but Dight and the fellow members of the Society never wavered in their belief that sterilization was the answer. |
"From the standpoint of the individual, the bill would work no hardship, since after sterilization by the method suggested, there would be no consequent impairment of health or impairment of sexual power except that offspring could not be produced." - Walter. A. Keayon, Professor of Biology at Hamline, 1920s
"What science has done in the improvement of plants and the lower animals, science rightly applied will do for man. Clearing for the foundation." - Charles Fremont Dight, "Human Thoroughbreds- Why not?"