Harvard History |

Research Query: LSD Testing in the 1950s

A researcher hopes to contact volunteer participants in “truth sera” experiments.

From The January-February 2015 Issue

In the first half of the 1950s, Henry Beecher of Harvard Medical School oversaw a series of experiments, sponsored by the U.S. Army Research Council, that were designed to test “truth sera” using various drugs, including LSD. The drugs were tested on volunteers, some of them Harvard students. Now Beecher professor of anesthesia James Rathmell is preparing an historical article on Beecher and his research. If you—or anyone you know—volunteered for Beecher’s experiments, Rathmell would like to hear from you: rathmell.james@mgh.harvard.edu. Confidentiality will be assured for those who wish it.

Published in the January-February 2015 print issue under the headline “LSD Testing in the 1950s,” in the Alumni section.

Related topics
Alumni
Harvard History

You might also like

A Harvard President’s VW Beetle That Kept On Giving

Derek Bok donated his car for a good cause.

The Year a Beat Poet Squatted at Harvard

In 1954, Gregory Corso moved into Eliot House. How he stayed there is a literary legend.

Cambridge Once Fought Harvard’s DNA Research. Now There’s a Play About It.

A theatrical reenactment explores a 1976 clash between science and democracy.

Most popular

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

Mindfulness—the unconventional research of psychologist Ellen Langer

Psychologist Ellen Langer's unconventional research. Plus, read about applying mindfulness techniques to eating.

Lafayette’s Unexpected Gift to George Washington: Pheasants

The two birds will be on display at Harvard this summer.

House - Email

Explore More From Current Issue

A vase of yellow flowers on a table next to an orange and a glass.

Museums & Collections

Harvard Art Museums restores a rare glimpse of an American master.

A football player in a white jersey evades a defender in a green uniform on the field.

Football

Despite personnel losses, Crimson captain Xaviah Bascon is upbeat about the 2026 season.

Portrait of a man in a denim shirt beside a blue book cover for "Gretal and the Great War" featuring an illustration of a leg holding an army helmet..

Arts & Culture

The Gretel and the Great War author on how the Lampoon derailed his science career—and set him on a literary path.