Foster Kennedy Syndrome, Euthanasia, and the Purpose of Eponyms

Robert Foster Kennedy (1884-1952) was an Irish-born neurologist who in 1911 described the association of frontal lobe tumor with unilateral optic atrophy and contralateral papilledema. After immigrating to America he became a respected neurologist who at the height of his career became President of the American Neurological Association. He is less known for his views on eugenics and advocacy of euthanasia for children with birth defects. In 1939 he initially proposed his support for state-sanctioned euthanasia in Collier's magazine, a popular family periodical. Two years later he discussed his proposal at a national medical meeting when credible reports about German laws on euthanasia and racial hygiene were circulating in Europe and the United States. The atrocities during the war never moved Kennedy to publicly alter his position on mercy killing. This paper reviews how opinions have changed toward eugenics, and considers when eponyms should be abandoned.