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Who Was Jack Kevorkian?
Jack Kevorkian, a pathologist, became infamous for assisting individuals suffering from terminal and debilitating medical conditions in ending their lives. His actions sparked a national debate on euthanasia and hospice care, ultimately leading to a legal battle that culminated in his conviction in 1999. He served eight years in prison for his role in these assisted deaths, forever changing the conversation surrounding the ethics of end-of-life care.
Early Life
Born Murad Kevorkian on May 26, 1928, in Pontiac, Michigan, Jack was the second of three children in an Armenian-American family. His parents, Levon and Satenig, were refugees who had fled the Armenian Massacres following World War I. Levon escaped Turkey with the help of missionaries and found work in Michigan’s automobile industry. Satenig, after surviving the Armenian death march, sought refuge in Paris before eventually joining her brother in Pontiac.
The family settled into a more comfortable life after Levon lost his job at the foundry and started an excavating business during the Great Depression, a feat that was particularly challenging during that time. The Kevorkians were able to maintain a stable financial situation while many other families in the area struggled. In reflecting on his upbringing, Kevorkian later acknowledged the sacrifices his parents made to ensure that their children did not face the same hardships.
Strict Upbringing
Jack’s parents, deeply religious and strict, placed a strong emphasis on obedience and Christian values. While his siblings conformed to their parents’ expectations, Jack struggled with the conflict between his growing skepticism and his family’s faith. Regular church attendance was a part of their routine, but Jack found himself questioning the idea of an all-powerful God who could prevent atrocities, such as the Turkish massacre of his extended family, yet did nothing to intervene. By age 12, Jack had abandoned church altogether, unable to reconcile his questions with the answers provided.
Despite his growing philosophical doubts, Jack excelled academically. His parents had high expectations for him, and he lived up to them effortlessly. A voracious reader with a keen interest in the arts, he also displayed remarkable intellectual curiosity. In school, Jack became known for his sharp debating skills, often challenging his teachers and classmates. His precociousness made him somewhat of an outsider, as his academic talents alienated him from his peers. By the time he entered high school, Jack had already mastered German and Japanese on his own, and he was promoted to higher grades based on his academic prowess.
Jack’s focus on his studies led him to forgo romantic relationships, viewing them as distractions from his intellectual pursuits. In 1945, at the age of 17, he graduated with honors from Pontiac High School.
University of Michigan and Medical Career
Kevorkian entered the University of Michigan College of Engineering with the goal of becoming a civil engineer. However, halfway through his freshman year, he lost interest in engineering and shifted his focus to botany and biology. By the end of the year, he had decided to pursue a medical career, a decision that led him to take on an unusually heavy course load, often completing 20 credit hours per semester to meet medical school requirements. He graduated in medicine in 1952.
Kevorkian’s medical career was briefly interrupted by the Korean War, during which he served as an Army medical officer for 15 months, before finishing his service in Colorado. After returning to civilian life, he specialized in pathology, a field in which he would later become notorious for his controversial actions.
Early Career
During his residency at the University of Michigan hospital in the 1950s, Dr. Jack Kevorkian developed a deep interest in the process of dying. He frequently visited terminally ill patients, conducting experiments such as photographing their eyes to pinpoint the exact moment of death. Kevorkian believed that this research could help differentiate death from conditions like fainting or coma, providing critical insights for doctors. He later remarked that his motivation was driven not only by scientific curiosity but also by the taboo nature of the subject.
In addition to his work with terminal patients, Kevorkian proposed controversial ideas, such as using death-row inmates as subjects for medical experiments while still alive. Inspired by ancient Greek practices, he argued that such research could benefit humanity, save valuable resources, and offer a window into the anatomy of the criminal mind. He presented his ideas to the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1958.
Kevorkian’s unconventional views earned him the nickname “Dr. Death” among his peers. These ideas, however, led to his expulsion from the University of Michigan Medical Center. Undeterred, he continued his career at Pontiac General Hospital, where he pursued further experiments. One notable project involved simulating a Russian medical technique involving blood transfusions from corpses to living patients. Although the experiments were deemed successful, Kevorkian’s reputation as an outsider grew, leading to professional isolation and the eventual contraction of Hepatitis C.
Crusade for Assisted Suicide
After qualifying as a specialist in 1960, Kevorkian moved between hospitals, publishing numerous articles on his views on death and later establishing his own clinic near Detroit, Michigan. However, the business failed, and Kevorkian’s efforts to gain stable employment were hindered by his radical ideas. He eventually retreated from clinical practice, devoting time to various projects, including a film about Handel’s Messiah. By 1982, Kevorkian was living in isolation, struggling financially and personally, and even experiencing a breakup with his fiancée.
In 1985, Kevorkian returned to Michigan and began writing extensively about the history of human experimentation on executed criminals. His work gained little traction in mainstream academic circles, but in 1986, he learned of euthanasia practices in the Netherlands. This fueled his passion for advocating assisted suicide, which he framed as an extension of his earlier death-row campaign. He developed the “Thanatron,” a machine designed to help terminally ill patients end their lives by self-administering lethal doses of chemicals.
Kevorkian’s invention and his support for euthanasia gradually earned national attention, though it was highly controversial. His proposals, which included the establishment of “obitoriums” where doctors could assist in patient suicides, further divided public opinion.
Making Headlines
In 1990, Kevorkian became infamous for assisting in the suicide of Janet Adkins, a 54-year-old Alzheimer’s patient. Adkins, a member of the Hemlock Society, sought Kevorkian’s help after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and choosing to end her life before the disease progressed. The event, which took place in a public park, garnered national media attention. Although the State of Michigan charged Kevorkian with murder, the case was dismissed due to the state’s indecision on assisted suicide.
In 1991, a judge issued an injunction prohibiting Kevorkian from using the Thanatron, and Michigan suspended his medical license. Nevertheless, Kevorkian continued his work, inventing a new device, the “Mercitron,” which administered carbon monoxide via a gas mask. In response to these actions, the Michigan legislature passed a law banning assisted suicide, leading to multiple incarcerations. Despite legal challenges, Kevorkian was acquitted in several cases due to his defense that his actions were intended to alleviate suffering.
Conviction and Imprisonment
In 1998, Michigan enacted a law making assisted suicide a felony. That same year, Kevorkian’s controversial decision to allow CBS’s 60 Minutes to air a tape of him assisting in the lethal injection of Thomas Youk, a patient with Lou Gehrig’s disease, led to a second-degree murder charge. Kevorkian, choosing to represent himself in court, was convicted in 1999 and sentenced to 25 years in prison, with the possibility of parole. His subsequent appeals were denied.
Illness and Death
Kevorkian was released from prison in June 2007 after serving just over eight years, due to good behavior. At the time, he was suffering from advanced liver damage due to Hepatitis C. However, he recovered and began speaking publicly about assisted suicide. In 2008, he even ran for a congressional seat in Michigan, though he did not win.
In 2010, HBO premiered a film about his life, You Don’t Know Jack, with Al Pacino portraying Kevorkian. Kevorkian passed away on June 3, 2011, at the age of 83, after being hospitalized for kidney and heart issues. He was survived by his sister, Flora Holzheimer.