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CENTER FOR HUMAN RADIO BIO LOG YU 01 C.AUA. UWC Argonne National Laboratory Massachusetts Institute of Technology e New Jersey Field Station Southwest Field Station Division of Vital Statistics State Department of Health New Castle, PA 16103 We are w-riting to ask you to assist us in a medical research project by searching t h e vital records i n your care for certain documentation, described below. The Center for Human Radiobiology, supported by the U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration, is conducting a long-range study of persons who have had some association with open, unencapsulated, radioactive materials somet i m e i n the past. The purpose of this research effort is to increase our basic information about the toxicity of radioactive suk t ances. never had any association with radioactive materials a r e also being followed: these a r e the "controls" of the study. Certain persons who have Would you please help u s by searching your records for t h e death of - who died in Philadelphia, PA on June 2 , 1957 of arteriosclerotic heai; disease. We would like to obtain photocopies of the original certificates for all t h e cases in our study. If it is absolutely impossible for you to supply t h i s type of documentation, will you p l e a s e tell us, and send transcribed certification rather thannone at all. We a r e enclosing a check for $2.00; it is our understanding that this is your current fee for t h i s service; i f not, please inform u s and we will arrange the proper adjustment. We assure you that all records of the Center are treated as Please address your reply to H. A. Schultz, Center for Human Radiobiology, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. C a s s Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439. Many thanks for your assistance. Very truly yours, PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED r '7 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439 Tel. 312-7".77.7711 Ext. 4625
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died in Greensboro, North Carolina, o n April 13, 1953, of . . died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, OR June 2 , 1957, of . arterial sclerotic heart disease. PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED
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ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION Division of Biomedica 1 and Environmen ta 1 DIVISION OF BIOMEDICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, HEAWUARTERS - REQUEST TO LOCATE (2 1-2 - 3 54) Ata meeting i n your office on May 9, 1974, i n connection with the DBER-INS joint investigation concerning the disclosure to patients regarding the injection of plutonium i n 1945-1947, you asked that the Division of Inspection try to locate the two patients who had been lost to followup. We transmitted two copies of a Memorandum Report on July 15, 1974, on one of them, _ . Attached are two copies of a Memorandum Report of the Division of Inspection which set forth our findings with regard to the second, We will forward you information regarding a third patient who has come t o our attention as also requiring followup. ,--rectori vision of Inspection INS Memorandum Report PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED
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Division of Inspection DIVISION OF BIOMEDICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, HEADQUARTERS - This investigation was predicated upoq the request of Dr. James L. Liverman, Director,Division of Biomedical and Environmental Research, Headquarters, that an attempt be made to locate who was a black male, 52 years of age, when be became involved i n a clinical testing program at Strong Memorial Hospital, 260 Crittenden Boulevard, Rochester, New York, i n 1946; but was subsequently lost to RESULTS OF INQUIRY University of Rochester, 260 Crittenden Boulevard, Rochester, reviewed File No. 245885 for and advised that it contained the following in form tion,in general : was born o n - in Rochester (Monroe County), New York. He received a grammar school education in Rochester,but moved away as a young rnan. He was like a " rolling stone " thereafter, traveled a great deal,never qr ried, and worked i n several states, mostly as a cook. for an insurance company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , in the fall of 1944, when his girlfriend died and h e became depressed as a result. He then went t o New York, lost all of his money in the stock market, and later returned to live with his niece in Rochester. On March 24, 1946, after suffering a heart attack, he was admitted to the Rochester Municipal Hospital which was then located in Wing Y - 3 of the Strong Memorial Hospital Building and serviced by the Strong Memorial staff ; he was transferred to Wing E - 3 of Strong Memorial Hospital for special studies on July7, 1946, and was discharged on August 15, 1946,
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as arrangements had been made with his consent to have him cared for at the Monroe County Home and Infirmary, 435 East Henrietta Road, Rochester, because his niece did not want him ather house. About eight years before being admitted to this hospital,he was hospitalized for three months in a Veterans ' Administration Hospital i n Connecticut for rheumatic heart disease.He had been drinking some during the two months preceding his admission to Rochester Municipal Hospital,but was not an habitual drinker.At that time, he stated that his address was Street,Rochester, and that his niece was of the same address. H e was unemployed when in this hospital. The file did not contain a social security number forI. Dr. Bartlett advised that the city of Rochester went out of the hospital business some time after 1956, and that Strong Memorial Hospital then took over the entire operation of Wing Y - 3 . Dr.. Bartlett advised that medical file also shows thata Strong Memorial Hospital social worker referred him tothe Eureau of Veterans ' Relief, as he was down-and-out financially at that time. Examination of the 1974 Greater Rochester telephone directory, as published by the Rochester Telephone Corporation, 254 South Main Street,Rochester,disclosed that it contained the following listings Mr. Richard J. Maher, Assistant Supervisor of Client Benefits, Monroe County Veterans' Service Agency, 111 West fall Road, Rochester,advised that the records from the Bureau of Veterans ' Relief were on file a this stated that the only record he presently has on a Bureau of Veterans ' Relief index card, for something on August 14, 1946, and that the file on him was closed on December 3 , 1946. He said this card also shows that was born on ,enlisted in the U. S. Army at Philadelphia on March 3,-1918; and was discharged on January19, 1919, at Camp Dix, New Jersey. He added that this card further shows that _ - held the rank of Private First Class inthe49th Company of the 153rd Depot Brigade, and that his Serial Number was 354 05 05. which shows that-he applied 8 0 0 I 9 4 5 PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVEDf
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Service Agency, 55 South Fitz hugh Street,Rochester,disclosed that it contained the following information,in general : A " Certificate in Lieu of a Lost or Destroyed Discharge Certificate " showed that ., Serial Number emergency; that he was honorably discharged on January 19, 1919, by reason of demobilization ; and that he gave his date and place of birth when inducted as. in Rochester, New York. ,a Private First Class of the49th Company, A letter dated September 21, 1946, toMr. George E . Hubbard, Executive Department, State of New York, Mt. McGregor, New Counselor, 168 Clinton Avenue South,Rochester,applying for admission of to this camp. Mr. Scott stated in this letter that was then living in the Monroe County Home in Rochester and the following : I' wasin the hospital suffering with a heart He has no family or any place to obtain convalescent care here in Rochester. He i s ambulatory--he has made two visits to our office.I made inquiries as t o his character and work habits and have been told by friends and acquaintances of his that he has always worked until this heart attack. I' Veterans ' Affairs,State of New York, 55. South Fitzhugh, Rochester, advised that Mt. McGregor was a New York State rest home for veterans until it was closed 12 t o 15 years ago. He stated that the records of this installation were destroyed some time there - after,according to information furnished to him by the Division of Veterans ' Affairs of the State of New York, Albany, New York; but he does not believe atypical veteran would have remained a t Mt. McGregor for more than three months. Mr. Donald S. Peoples, Clerk I, Birth and Death Records, Monroe County Health Department, 111 West fall Road, Rochester,advised that they began setting up a central filing system of birth and * Varies from the previous date of Ma'rch 3 , 1918 * Possibly meant September 21, 1946 8 0 0 f 9 4 b PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED
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PRIVACY ACT MATEillAL REMOVED death records in Monroe County on July 1, 1968; and that they presently have all of the city of Rochester records and many of the records from the town sites within the county. He refused, however, ' to search the index records from 1946 to date,orto allow the writer to make such a search to determine if had died within the county, saying this was not permitted by the regulations ; but he would be happy t o perform this check ifa specific date of death could be obtained for .. H e added that they have no record of the birth of a i n Rochester on ,; although it was not unusual for births not to be reported in those days. State of New York, 84 Holland Avenue, Albany, New York, was requested telephonic ally on July 24, 1974, t o make a search of his records from August 1945, to date,to determine if had died within the state, which he agreed to do. His secretary, a Mrs. Butler,advised during a subsequent telephone call in Mr. Ster zinger ' s absence, that this search had been performed and they were unable to locate a record of death for service folder is located at the Federal Records Center in Philadelphia, and that the number of this folder is C-15-342-764. At this point, and with the concurrence of Dr.Sidney Marks, Physician, Epidemiologis t - Pathologist, Biomedical Programs, Division of Biomedica 1 and Environmen ta 1 Research ,Headquarters,Dr. Bart lett was requested to contact ' to obtain information regarding the whereabouts- of _____ without involving AEC i n the request, which he had p r & i ou sly stated he would do. Bartlett later advised that he telephoned- during the evening of July 25, 1974. He states - that she didn F express any curiosity about the call,but had a little difficulty remembering inthe beginning. He said she then stated that she is - niece ; that she had lost track of him; but later heard from an aunt (now deceased) that he had died in Philadelphia in the 195C's, i n which place he is apparently buried. He added h e believes this was the extent of the information has about the present location of - was requested by phone on July ' 26to have a search made of his index records to determine i f had died in the State of Pennsylvania and, ifso,to furnish a certified copy of his certificate of PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED
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He refused to do this, however, stating that he would not furnish the information at all without a letter from someone in authority i n AEC requesting the information on AEC stationery ; and that, even the.n, h e would like to have a more specific time of death than the1950 ' s . He also stated that he would not allow anyone from AEC t o review these records,saying there were many people who wanted t o do this and he made no exceptions for the United States Government. He added that these records are confidential. A letter was prepared toMr. Edmonds, and in his absence,pre - of Vital Statistics, Department of Health and Welfare, State of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Mr.Taylor caused a search of the recorded deaths for the 1950's which disclosed a death certificate for,a certified copy of which is attached as Exhibit A. Examination of this certificate disclosed that was born on ,in Rochester, New York; that he succumbed a t 9:50 a.m. on June 2, 1957, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; that his usual place of residence was Street in that city ; that the immediate cause of death was Arterio sclerotic heart disease and that he also had a Carcinoma of the esophagus; that he is buried in the - Cemetery, located in Beverly / Burlington, New Jersey ; that the informant was who-apparently had no knowledge of any of - relatives. Veterans ' Administration File C No. 15-342-764 and advised that it contained a letter dated January 1956 from which included the social security number ,that the letter wasin own handwriting ; and that the file also contained a death certificate i den Eica1to that attached to this PRWCY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED Wilson 0. Edrnonds Resident Investigator, OR Period of Inquiry 2 - Div. of Biomedical and Environmental
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SUBJECT: Freedom of Information A c t Request We have been unable to locate the memo from Rowland to Schultz dated December 21, 1972 which you requested about 5:15 p.m. yesterday following the receipt of a letter from D. T. Goldman t o A. Schriesheim concerning this matter. A s today is the last business day before the deadline, December 2, further search is not possible without missing the deadline. complicated by the fact that Rowland retired about two years ago and Schultz Locating this memo i s Other intra - laboratory memos on the 18 plutonium research subjects referred to inthe Goldman letter, mention them by name and give personal information about them. The release of such documents would be a violation of the patients ' privacy and the right - t o - privacy is protected by law. It would also constitute a violation of normal ethical practice in the handling of patient The subjects referred to have been studied by several organizations since the publication can be found in Patricia W. Durbin, "Plutonium i n Man: A New Look Non-personal information can be found in the scientific A good review and guide to the literature up tothe time of its atthe Old Data," pp.469-530, Radiobiology of Plutonium, Edited by Betsy J. Stover and Webster S.S. Jee, Published by the J. W.Press, Department of Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 1972.
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