A. S. Priddy

American physician and eugenicist

Albert Sidney Priddy (1865 – 1928) was an American physician known for his role in the eugenics movement in the United States. He was the superintendent of the Virginia State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded, where he implemented and advocated for the sterilization of individuals deemed "unfit" to reproduce. His work and the legal cases associated with it, notably Buck v. Bell, had a significant impact on the history of eugenics and sterilization laws in the United States.

Early life and education

Albert Sidney Priddy was born in 1865 in Virginia. He pursued a career in medicine, graduating from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Priddy was influenced by the prevailing scientific and social theories of his time, which included the belief in improving the human race through selective breeding and sterilization.

Career

Virginia State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded

Dr. Albert Priddy in 1912

In 1909, Priddy became the superintendent of the Virginia State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded, an institution designed to house individuals with mental disabilities and epilepsy. Under his leadership, the institution became a center for the practice of eugenics, particularly the sterilization of patients.

Priddy was a strong advocate for the sterilization of individuals he considered "unfit" to reproduce. He believed that sterilization was a humane and effective way to prevent the transmission of hereditary defects and to reduce the burden on society. His views were in line with the broader eugenics movement, which sought to improve the genetic quality of the human population.

Legal advocacy and Buck v. Bell

Priddy played a pivotal role in the legal case Buck v. Bell, which reached the Supreme Court of the United States in 1927. The case involved Carrie Buck, a young woman who was a patient at the Virginia State Colony. Priddy and his colleagues argued that Buck should be sterilized to prevent her from having children who might inherit her alleged mental deficiencies.

The Supreme Court, in an 8-1 decision, upheld the constitutionality of the Virginia sterilization law, with Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. famously stating, "Three generations of imbeciles are enough." This decision legitimized the practice of sterilization and led to the sterilization of thousands of individuals across the United States.

Death and legacy

Albert Sidney Priddy died in 1928, a year after the Buck v. Bell decision. His work and the legal precedents set during his tenure had a lasting impact on the eugenics movement in the United States. The case of Buck v. Bell remained a legal precedent for decades, and the ethical implications of Priddy's work continue to be a topic of discussion in the fields of medicine, ethics, and law.

Related pages

• Eugenics in the United States
• Buck v. Bell
• Virginia State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded
• Sterilization law in the United States