Loading...
Citations
Altmetric:
Genre
Conference paper
Date
2026-03-14
Advisor
Committee member
Group
Department
History
Permanent link to this record
Collections
Files
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
DOI
https://doi.org/10.34944/xpkj-c520
Abstract
This paper provides a brief history of the Society for the Investigation of Human Ecology/Human Ecology Fund and Psychological Assessments Associates, two CIA proprietaries connected to the Agency’s infamous MKULTRA program. Using a combination of archival sources and contemporary newspaper coverage, the author demonstrates the ways in which MKULTRA fronts reacted to press coverage from the program’s 1953 establishment to its public exposure in 1977. Further, this paper explores the ways how, and the reasons why, social science researchers and CIA officers lied to the press about their financial and ethical role in the government’s secret funding of medicine, anthropology, sociology, psychology, and psychiatry. This is done by using the test cases of John W. Gittinger, Col. James L. Monroe, and Dr. Lawrence E. Hinkle, each of whom told significant lies to the press in the 1970s for vastly different reasons.
Description
A paper presented at the 31st James A. Barnes Graduate History Conference, which took place March 14-15, 2026 in Philadelphia, PA.
Citation
Schmidel, Henry. "Damage Control: MKULTRA, Human Ecology, and the Press." Paper presented at 31st James A. Barnes Graduate History Conference, Philadelphia, PA, March 2026.
Citation to related work
Has part
ADA compliance
For Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation, including help with reading this content, please contact scholarshare@temple.edu
Embedded videos
License
All Rights Reserved