"William G. Lennox: A legacy of compassion and controversy"

William Gordon Lennox (1884-1960) was a pivotal figure in twentieth-century neurology whose pioneering research on electroencephalography, seizure classification, and the biology of epilepsy helped establish the foundations of modern neurology. His work transformed epilepsy from a stigmatized condition into one amenable to scientific study and compassionate clinical care. However, Lennox's legacy is complicated by his endorsement of eugenic principles and his writings on disability, mental illness, and race. Those opinions are now recognized as deeply problematic. Examining Lennox's career illuminates the moral tensions within early neurological science and offers a lens through which to trace the medical profession's evolution from a eugenic framework toward contemporary commitments to human rights and patient autonomy.