*Peter Buxtun, the whistleblower who courageously unveiled one of the most notorious medical research scandals in U.S. history, has passed away at the age of 86.
Buxtun, who succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease on May 18 in Rocklin, California, is hailed as a hero by public health scholars and policymakers alike for his pivotal role in the cessation of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. His lawyer, Minna Farnan, confirmed his death.
The Tuskegee Syphilis Study, initiated by federal scientists in 1932, involved observing 400 Black men in Tuskegee, Alabama, who were infected with syphilis. When antibiotics became available in the 1940s, federal health officials purposely withheld the treatment, opting instead to study the progression of the disease unchecked over time. This gross ethical violation continued until Buxtun’s actions led to its termination in 1972.
In the mid-1960s, Buxtun, then a federal public health worker in San Francisco, discovered the study through a colleague. Disturbed, he began investigating the ethical implications of the experiment. Despite the study not being a complete secret—with about a dozen research articles already published—there was little scrutiny on how it was conducted. The American medical community had largely accepted it, as highlighted by Ted Pastorius of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during a 2022 event marking the study’s end, according to MWCD.
Buxtun’s moral outrage led him to voice his concerns in a 1966 letter to CDC officials. His complaints were dismissed, and he was ridiculed for his insistence on ethical conduct. Frustrated, Buxtun left the Public Health Service to attend law school but remained committed to uncovering the truth. In 1972, he provided key documents to AP reporter Edith Lederer, leading to an investigation by AP investigative reporter Gene Heller.
Heller’s explosive story, published on July 25, 1972, exposed the study’s inhumanity, leading to congressional hearings, a substantial class-action lawsuit that resulted in a $10 million settlement, and the study’s termination within four months. The revelation forced the U.S. government to re-examine its medical research practices, and in 1997, President Bill Clinton formally apologized for the study, terming it “shameful.”
Lily Tyson Head, whose father was a participant in the study, expressed gratitude for Buxtun’s bravery. “We are grateful for his honesty and his courage,” she said.
Born in 1937 in Prague, Buxtun and his family fled Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, eventually settling in Irish Bend, Oregon. His father was Jewish, which resonated deeply when Buxtun later compared the Tuskegee study to the medical experiments conducted by Nazi doctors. Despite initial federal resistance to this comparison, the government instituted new ethical guidelines for medical research following the study’s exposure. Today, the Tuskegee Study is often cited as a reason for medical mistrust among African Americans.
Buxtun, who served in the U.S. Army as a combat medic and psychiatric social worker before joining the Federal Health Service in 1965, also had a keen interest in history and antiques. A global traveler, he was known for his expertise in California Gold Rush-era military artifacts.
Friends and colleagues remember Buxtun for his wisdom, wit, and unwavering moral compass. “Peter was wise, witty, classy, and endlessly generous,” said David M. Golden, a close friend of 25 years. Angie Bailey, another longtime friend, recalled how emotional Buxtun would get during his presentations about the Tuskegee Study.
At a 2018 forum at Johns Hopkins University, when asked about the source of his moral courage to expose the study, Buxtun modestly responded, “It wasn’t a strength. That was stupid.”
Peter Buxtun’s legacy is a testament to the power of individual conviction in the face of systemic wrongdoing. His dedication to justice and ethical transparency has left an indelible mark on public health and medical research.
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