The collection of working files collected by Dr. Lebacqz in her capacity as a member of the Commission, came directly from the donor and was contained in one file cabinet and several boxes. The cabinet contained the Commission's working files, materials which culminated in the publication of reports on the various areas indicated in its charter. The boxes contained 3-ring binders primarily for work on fetus research; also, copies of the transcripts of Commission meetings. The collection has been kept in the donor's original order using the donor's original broad subject headings. Not all of the final published reports are included in the collection.

The "National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research" (1974 -78) was established by Congress under the National Research Act: Public Law 93-348, Title II, Part A (July 12, 1974). Dr. Karen Lebacqz, Professor of Christian Ethics, Pacific School of Religion, was appointed as a member of the Commission. The purpose of the Commission was "to (1) conduct a comprehensive investigation and study to identify the basic ethical principles which should underlie the conduct of biomedical and behavioral research involving human subjects, (2) develop guidelines which should be followed in such research to assure that it is conducted in accordance with such principles, and (3) make recommendations to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare for such administrative action as may be appropriate to apply such guidelines . . . ." The duties of the Commission were to "include the following: (1) identify the requirements for informed consent to participation by the institutionalized mentally infirm; (2) consider the appropriateness of applying the principles and guidelines identified and developed by the Commission to the delivery of health services to patients under programs conducted or supported by the Secretary [of HEW]; consider the mechanisms for evaluating and monitoring the performance of Institutional Review Boards . . . [and] undertake a comprehensive study of the ethical, social and legal implications of advances in biomedical and behavioral research and technology." (Charterfor the Commission: Box 1, ff 1)

Copyright has not been assigned to The Graduate Theological Union. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Graduate Theological Union as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Collection is open for research.