Summer 2003 volume 99 issue 3 : letters

In Memoriam: Dr. Marian Gray Secundy ’60

It is with great sadness that I share the passing of Dr. Marian Gray Secundy ’60. She was a pioneer in the field of bioethics education and was a shining example of a person who dedicated her life to making a difference. We are facing startling advances in areas such as genetics, reproductive assistance, and extension-of-life. Dr. Secundy’s contributions to the development of a bioethics curriculum for medical professionals will have a profound impact on how we address the challenges ahead. Dr. Secundy received an A.B. from Vassar in political science and sociology, an M.S.W. from Bryn Mawr, and a Ph.D. in medical humanities and bioethics from the Union Graduate Institute.

She began her career as director of Washington, DC, housing programs for the American Friends Committee. In 1971, she became professor and director of the Program in Clinical Ethics at Howard University College of Medicine, Department of Community Health and Family Practice, developing a curriculum in bioethics and medical humanities. From 1999 to 2002, she served as director of the Tuskegee University National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care, a center that was established following former President Clinton’s apology to the nation for U.S. Public Health Service syphilis experiments using African-American subjects. The Tuskegee Center has a multidisciplinary approach to exploring ethical issues in research and medical treatment of underserved populations.

More recently, Dr. Secundy served as professor emeritus at Howard University College of Medicine, as a visiting professor at Meharry Medical College, and as founder of the Sandkofa Group and EPEC2. Throughout her career, Dr. Secundy made significant contributions to the advancement of bioethics through research, teaching, and participation on boards and advisory committees. She served on the AAVC Board of Directors from 1965 to 1971, was a trustee of the college from 1971 to 1983, and was a founding board member of Triple A VC (African-American Alumnae/i of Vassar College). Dr. Secundy will be greatly missed.

Felicia Smith Gittleman ’83
Seattle, Washington