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Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments Records

 Collection
Identifier: BRL-008

Scope and Contents

The collection documents the work of the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments (ACHR). It includes meeting briefing books, drafts of the final report and related records, background materials on experiments, and correspondence of ACHR Executive Director Dan Guttman. Meetings were held between 1994 and 1995, and the collection includes copies of background materials dating back to 1900.

An earlier version of this guide includes a more detailed inventory of the collection. That guide also includes digitized copies of the table of contents for each briefing book.

Dates

  • 1900 - 1996
  • Majority of material found within 1940 - 1996

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open without restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers are solely responsible for determining the copyright status of the materials being used, establishing who the copyright owner is, locating the copyright owner, and obtaining permission for intended use.

Historical Note

The Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments (ACHR) was a 14-member committee of nationally recognized experts in the areas of bioethics, epidemiology, law and nuclear medicine. In addition to these experts, it also included a citizen representative. Committee members were appointed by President Clinton in April 1994. They were charged with investigating the use of human beings as subjects of federally funded research using ionizing radiation. Ruth R. Faden, PhD, MPH chaired the Advisory Committee. The ACHR’s final report was published in October 1995.

An archive of the ACHR website is available at: https://bioethicsarchive.georgetown.edu/achre/

The ACHR’s Final Report has been digitized and is available online via the Internet Archive.

Source: Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments Fact Sheet

Extent

19.2 Cubic Feet (in 48 manuscript boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Metadata Rights Declarations

Abstract

The collection documents the work of the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments (ACHR). It includes meeting briefing books, drafts of the final report and related records, background materials on experiments, and correspondence of ACHR Executive Director Dan Guttman. Meetings were held between 1994 and 1995, and the collection includes copies of background materials dating back to 1900.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Immediate source of acquisition is unknown.

Processing Information

The collection was processed by Nicholas Dellasanta and Charles N. Norton in 2015 and their guide to the collection was published in March 2016. John Zarrillo imported the collection's inventory into ArchivesSpace and updated the guide to the collection for DACS-compliance in June 2020. Meeting notes and additional documents from the December 15-16, 1994 meeting were found in February 2022 and added to the collection by John Zarrillo.

Title
Guide to the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments Records
Status
Completed
Author
Nicholas Dellasanta, Charles N. Norton, and John Zarrillo
Date
June 2020
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English

Repository Details

Part of the Bioethics Research Library Archives Repository

Contact:
102 Healy Hall
37th and O Streets, N.W.
Washington DC 20057