Physicians for Social Responsibility
Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) was formed in 1962 following the publication of a seminal collection of papers on the medical consequences of nuclear war (Sidel VW, Geiger J, Lown B. The physician's role in the post-attack period. New England Journal of Medicine 266 (May 31, 1962): 1126-1155) The papers inspired wide discussion within government and around the world. PSR arose from this scholarly contribution. During the Vietnam War PSR became dormant until in 1978 other physicians, as well as the original authors of those papers, took up the mantle of public education regarding the need to prevent nuclear war. From 1978 PSR grew and prospered under the national leadership of Helen Caldicott, Eric Chivian, JenniferLeaning, Katherine Kahn, Tom Winters, Richard Feinbloom, and myself among countless others too numerous to mention. A personal history of the rebirth of PSR is offered below in Chapter 19, "The Hot Group," adapted from my memoir, Igniting the Atmosphere. In addition, original reprints of the PSR Newsletter for which I served as editor are presented below.