Kevorkian papers acquired for scholarly research
The personal papers of one of U-M’s most infamous alumni, assisted suicide advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian, were acquired by the Bentley Historical Library in October 2015. “Long before Jack Kevorkian was known as ‘Dr. Death,’ he was a child of Armenian immigrants, a successful student, a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School, a musician, composer and scientist,” noted Terrence McDonald, director of the Bentley. “These papers will allow scholars and students to understand the context of and driving forces in an interesting and provocative life.”
In addition to correspondence, published works, manuscript drafts, photographs, court records, news coverage and interviews, the materials also contain taped conversations between Kevorkian and his patients. Often these conversations transformed into discussions about the terminally ill patient’s right to have a choice in how they want to die, about religion, the legal system, politics and public discourse surrounding assisted suicide.
“These papers will allow scholars and students to understand the context of and driving forces in an interesting and provocative life.”
– Terrence McDonald, director, Bentley Historical Library
Kevorkian was considered a radical even in his days as a student at the U-M Medical School—from which he graduated in 1952—and later as a resident, when he proposed giving prisoners condemned to death the option to undergo euthanasia in order to subject their bodies to medical experimentation and allow harvesting of their healthy organs.
The release of the Kevorkian collection comes at a significant turning point in the “death with dignity” debate. Recently, California became the fifth state to allow terminally ill patients to legally end their lives using doctor-prescribed drugs.
