Hemlock Society
Encyclopedia
The Hemlock Society USA was a national right-to-die organization founded in Santa Monica, California
by Derek Humphry
in 1980. Its primary missions included providing information to dying persons and supporting legislation permitting physician-assisted suicide. In 1992, following the publication of his book Final Exit
, Derek Humphry left the leadership of Hemlock Society USA. In 2003 the national organization renamed itself, and a year later merged with another group into a newly formed national organization called Compassion & Choices
. A number of unaffiliated local organizations continue to operate under variants of the Hemlock Society name.
All are former chapters of the Hemlock Society USA which ceased to exist after a controversial name change to End Of Life Choices on June 13, 2003, and then shortly thereafter, a merger with Compassion in Dying and consolidating on the name Compassion and Choices.
in his garage in Santa Monica, California, when he received a huge response to his memoir Jean's Way
, his account of helping his reportedly terminally ill wife take her own life in 1975.
Hemlock's mission was to both: (a) provide information to dying persons who were currently considering hastening their ends; (b) to pass legislation permitting physician-assisted suicide with accompanying guidelines to prevent abuse. Hemlock was the first such organization in America; previous groups had campaigned only for the greater use of the Living Will. The name "Hemlock
" was selected in the light of the suicide of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates
who had to choose between sentences of death or exile; after debate with colleague, and unable to bear the loneliness of exile, he chose suicide by a drink laced with the hemlock plant. It was Socrates's careful consideration of his choices which inspired the American organization.
when the international organization initiated in 1980 in Oxford, England, by Sidney D. Rosoff and Derek Humphry. Hemlock's national membership grew to 40,000 with eighty chapters. In 1988, Hemlock hosted in San Francisco the 7th biennial conference of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies
.
In 1998, the Hemlock Society formed a side group called 'Caring Friends' which provided its members with support and guidance, nationwide, if they were terminally ill and asking for help to die. Its principal founders were Dr. Richard MacDonald, Hemlock's medical director, Faye Girsh, executive director, Wye Hale-Rowe and Lois Schafer, staff members. Strict guidelines were put in place to protect Caring Friends from legal problems, and it had none. (In 2005 'Caring Friends' was renamed 'Client Services' by Compassion and Choices).
In 2000, Hemlock staged in Boston the 10th international conference of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies
, which was attended by 483 people and had 66 speakers.
Hemlock backed legislative efforts in California, Washington, Michigan, and Maine without success until the Oregon Death with Dignity Act was passed in 1994. Hemlock infused (under IRS rules) a total of $992,210 on six campaigns.
. At first, commercial publishers refused to publish Final Exit so Hemlock self-published it in hardback. Within months it made it to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. It was one of the few self-published books ever to hit the bestseller list, earning Hemlock over one million dollars net. In 1992 Random House
took over publishing the paperback. In 1992, Humphry left the leadership of Hemlock Society USA and later formed Euthanasia Research & Guidance Organization.
by Sharlotte Hydorn (born 1919 or 1920), who met Humphry after the death of her husband, and joined the Hemlock Society.
to continue its mission. Hemlock chapters in Florida
, Illinois
and the San Diego, California
area continue their mission of helping people understand what is involved in accelerating one's end, and pushing for legislation. These chapters cooperate with – but are not an official part of – the national Final Exit Network
which provides informational guidance.
Executive Directors:
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
by Derek Humphry
Derek Humphry
Derek Humphry is a British-born American journalist, author and principal founder in 1980 of the Hemlock Society USA and past president of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies, both of which support the notion of decriminalisation of voluntary euthanasia...
in 1980. Its primary missions included providing information to dying persons and supporting legislation permitting physician-assisted suicide. In 1992, following the publication of his book Final Exit
Final Exit
Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying is a controversial 1992 book by Derek Humphry, founder of the Hemlock Society in California and past president of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies....
, Derek Humphry left the leadership of Hemlock Society USA. In 2003 the national organization renamed itself, and a year later merged with another group into a newly formed national organization called Compassion & Choices
Compassion & Choices
Compassion & Choices is a nonprofit organization in the United States working to improve patients' rights and choices at the end of life...
. A number of unaffiliated local organizations continue to operate under variants of the Hemlock Society name.
Current Hemlock Societies & related organizations
In the USA (2009) three independent Hemlock Society groups are operating:All are former chapters of the Hemlock Society USA which ceased to exist after a controversial name change to End Of Life Choices on June 13, 2003, and then shortly thereafter, a merger with Compassion in Dying and consolidating on the name Compassion and Choices.
Hemlock mission
The original Hemlock was founded in 1980 by Derek HumphryDerek Humphry
Derek Humphry is a British-born American journalist, author and principal founder in 1980 of the Hemlock Society USA and past president of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies, both of which support the notion of decriminalisation of voluntary euthanasia...
in his garage in Santa Monica, California, when he received a huge response to his memoir Jean's Way
Jean's Way
Jean's Way: A Love Story, a book by Derek Humphry, is an account of Humphry's terminally ill wife's planned self-deliverance from suffering. The book is Derek Humphry's first book on the issue of voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide.- Overview:...
, his account of helping his reportedly terminally ill wife take her own life in 1975.
Hemlock's mission was to both: (a) provide information to dying persons who were currently considering hastening their ends; (b) to pass legislation permitting physician-assisted suicide with accompanying guidelines to prevent abuse. Hemlock was the first such organization in America; previous groups had campaigned only for the greater use of the Living Will. The name "Hemlock
Conium
Conium is a genus of two species of highly poisonous perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the family Apiaceae, native to Europe and the Mediterranean region as Conium maculatum, and to southern Africa as Conium chaerophylloides....
" was selected in the light of the suicide of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates
Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, and the plays of his contemporary ...
who had to choose between sentences of death or exile; after debate with colleague, and unable to bear the loneliness of exile, he chose suicide by a drink laced with the hemlock plant. It was Socrates's careful consideration of his choices which inspired the American organization.
History/chronology
Hemlock was a founding charter member of the World Federation of Right to Die SocietiesWorld Federation of Right to Die Societies
The World Federation of Right to Die Societies is an international federation of associations that promote access to voluntary euthanasia.It is made up of 46 associations from 27 countries. It holds regular international meetings on dying and death....
when the international organization initiated in 1980 in Oxford, England, by Sidney D. Rosoff and Derek Humphry. Hemlock's national membership grew to 40,000 with eighty chapters. In 1988, Hemlock hosted in San Francisco the 7th biennial conference of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies
World Federation of Right to Die Societies
The World Federation of Right to Die Societies is an international federation of associations that promote access to voluntary euthanasia.It is made up of 46 associations from 27 countries. It holds regular international meetings on dying and death....
.
In 1998, the Hemlock Society formed a side group called 'Caring Friends' which provided its members with support and guidance, nationwide, if they were terminally ill and asking for help to die. Its principal founders were Dr. Richard MacDonald, Hemlock's medical director, Faye Girsh, executive director, Wye Hale-Rowe and Lois Schafer, staff members. Strict guidelines were put in place to protect Caring Friends from legal problems, and it had none. (In 2005 'Caring Friends' was renamed 'Client Services' by Compassion and Choices).
In 2000, Hemlock staged in Boston the 10th international conference of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies
World Federation of Right to Die Societies
The World Federation of Right to Die Societies is an international federation of associations that promote access to voluntary euthanasia.It is made up of 46 associations from 27 countries. It holds regular international meetings on dying and death....
, which was attended by 483 people and had 66 speakers.
Hemlock backed legislative efforts in California, Washington, Michigan, and Maine without success until the Oregon Death with Dignity Act was passed in 1994. Hemlock infused (under IRS rules) a total of $992,210 on six campaigns.
Final Exit and Hemlock Society
In 1991, Humphry wrote the book Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the DyingFinal Exit
Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying is a controversial 1992 book by Derek Humphry, founder of the Hemlock Society in California and past president of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies....
. At first, commercial publishers refused to publish Final Exit so Hemlock self-published it in hardback. Within months it made it to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. It was one of the few self-published books ever to hit the bestseller list, earning Hemlock over one million dollars net. In 1992 Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
took over publishing the paperback. In 1992, Humphry left the leadership of Hemlock Society USA and later formed Euthanasia Research & Guidance Organization.
Renamed EOLC and merger to form C&C
On June 13, 2003, The Hemlock Society USA name was changed to End Of Life Choices. Soon after the name change, EOLC merged with (was taken over by) Compassion in Dying. The merge/take-over process was publicly announced on June 20, 2004, as an "intent to unify". The merged organization began operating officially in January 2005 under a new name, Compassion and Choices.The Gladd Group
Another Hemlock offshoot is The Gladd Group, was founded in the San Diego suburb of La Mesa, CaliforniaLa Mesa, California
La Mesa is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 57,065 at the 2010 census, up from 54,749 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1869 and officially incorporated as a city on February 16, 1912. Its official flower is the bougainvillea....
by Sharlotte Hydorn (born 1919 or 1920), who met Humphry after the death of her husband, and joined the Hemlock Society.
Hemlock Society leaders and members form Final Exit Network
After Hemlock ceased to exist in 2004, some members of Hemlock's leadership formed the Final Exit NetworkFinal Exit Network
The Final Exit Network is an American all-volunteer organization that offers counseling, support, and guidance in a successful suicide to individuals who are suffering from an intolerable illness. The organization believes that individuals suffering from intolerable illnesses deserve a dignified...
to continue its mission. Hemlock chapters in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and the San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
area continue their mission of helping people understand what is involved in accelerating one's end, and pushing for legislation. These chapters cooperate with – but are not an official part of – the national Final Exit Network
Final Exit Network
The Final Exit Network is an American all-volunteer organization that offers counseling, support, and guidance in a successful suicide to individuals who are suffering from an intolerable illness. The organization believes that individuals suffering from intolerable illnesses deserve a dignified...
which provides informational guidance.
Past leaders of the Hemlock Society
Hemlock Society USA Presidents:- Gerald A Larue
- Derek Humphry
- Sidney D Rosoff
- Wiley Morrison
- Arthur Metcalfe
- John Westover
- Faye J Girsh
Executive Directors:
- Derek Humphry (1980–1992)
- John A Pridonoff (1993–1995)
- Faye J Girsh (1996–2000)
Quotes
- "In the United States, the Hemlock Society alone had grown to 57,000 paid members with eighty-six chapters. And for every paying members, there were a hundred more people who shared the same beliefs. The self-deliverance genie had been forever freed from its bottle and had taken on a robust, self-sustaining life of its own."
- "Whatever downside there may be to Hemlock, if claims of being open to dialogue and striving for tolerance are justified on this side of the divide, the negatives may well be outweighed by the positives."
- "Those who have some indecision may have benefited from remarks by Bishop John Shelby Spong in a keynote address to the Hemlock Society USA conference in San Diego on January 10, 2003."
- "When the votes [in California] were counted after the November 3, 1992 election, Initiative #161 had failed to pass by a 54 percent to 46 percent margin. Although the narrow defeat marked a temporary setback for Hemlock Society USA and its supporters, the fact that 5,500,000 voters had marked yes on their ballots was encouraging for the future."
- "Early in 1986 the Hemlock Society, then based in California, proposed amendments to the 1976 [Living Will] law that would have included 'aid in dying' and it urged [Senator] Keene to include it in a revised bill. He declined."
- "On the other side of the battle line, the coalition [for California Prop. #161] included numerous Protestant denominations, organized labor, the state Democratic party, AIDS activists, the Grey Panthers, and, of course, the Hemlock Society."
See also
- Compassion and Choices
- Final Exit NetworkFinal Exit NetworkThe Final Exit Network is an American all-volunteer organization that offers counseling, support, and guidance in a successful suicide to individuals who are suffering from an intolerable illness. The organization believes that individuals suffering from intolerable illnesses deserve a dignified...
- Final ExitFinal ExitFinal Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying is a controversial 1992 book by Derek Humphry, founder of the Hemlock Society in California and past president of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies....
- World Federation of Right to Die SocietiesWorld Federation of Right to Die SocietiesThe World Federation of Right to Die Societies is an international federation of associations that promote access to voluntary euthanasia.It is made up of 46 associations from 27 countries. It holds regular international meetings on dying and death....
- Jean's WayJean's WayJean's Way: A Love Story, a book by Derek Humphry, is an account of Humphry's terminally ill wife's planned self-deliverance from suffering. The book is Derek Humphry's first book on the issue of voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide.- Overview:...
- EuthanasiaEuthanasiaEuthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
- Assisted suicideAssisted suicideAssisted suicide is the common term for actions by which an individual helps another person voluntarily bring about his or her own death. "Assistance" may mean providing one with the means to end one's own life, but may extend to other actions. It differs to euthanasia where another person ends...
- Euthanasia and the lawEuthanasia and the LawEfforts to change government policies on euthanasia in the 20th century have met limited success in Western countries. Euthanasia policies have also been developed by a variety of NGOs, most notably medical associations and advocacy organizations. As of 2011, active euthanasia is only legal in the...
- Right to DieRight to dieThe right to die is the ethical or institutional entitlement of the individual to commit suicide or to undergo voluntary euthanasia. Possession of this right is often understood to mean that a person with a terminal illness should be allowed to commit suicide or assisted suicide or to decline...
- Suicide bagSuicide bagA suicide bag, also known as an exit bag, is a device consisting of a large plastic bag with a drawcord used to commit suicide. It is usually used in conjunction with an inert gas like helium or nitrogen, which prevents the panic, sense of suffocation and struggling during unconsciousness ...
- Oregon Death with Dignity Act
Organizations
- Hemlock Society of San Diego
- Hemlock Foundation of Florida Inc.
- Compassion and Choices
- Final Exit Network
- FinalExit.org - Euthanasia Research & Guidance Organization (ERGO)
Miscellanea
- Good Life, Good Death book
- ERGO Bookstore
- AssistedSuicide.org - website and news blog
- Derek Humphry biography