Charles Potter dies and theologian Joseph Fletcher assumes Potter’s unofficial title as the chief philosopher of the euthanasia movement.
Fletcher fashions a new rationale for euthanasia based primarily on the notion of patient autonomy.”
Pauline Taylor becomes president of the Euthanasia Society of America (ESA).
“Taylor…began the ESA’s soul-searching process that led to a major shift in the philosophy for the entire American euthanasia movement. She believed the ESA in the past had overemphasized the soundness of an individual’s decision to have his or her life ended if terminally ill and in unbearable pain… Taylor concluded that the time was ripe to…begin convincing the public that letting someone die, instead of resorting to extreme measures, was both humane and ethically permissible.”