An Institutional History of Alcor By R. Michael Perry, Ph.D.
Introduction As I write this, Alcor is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary as a cryonics organization (Feb. 23). Recently a longer history was started in these pages,1 which is to be continued, but for this issue a briefer survey covering a larger span of time seemed appropriate. Here our subject matter is restricted to major organizational events such as incorporation, locations, past presidents (in brief), collaborations with other organizations, and the like, with some details added in hopes of more human interest. Beginnings are important in any historical process. The early years are emphasized here, including the prehistory of Alcor, though I’ve tried to give coverage to later events also. Technical matters: Arial Narrow typeface is used for longer quotations, which I’ve very lightly edited in places to correct minor errors such as spelling or punctuation. Inserted material is enclosed in square brackets [], deleted material is indicated by ellipsis …. Photos not otherwise attributed are from (or can be found in) Alcor archives [15].
that they called “Alcor” for cryonics cases involving CSC. The name referred to a faint star in the Big Dipper that historically had served as a “test for clear vision” and also was an acronym for Allopathic CryOgenic Rescue (“allopathic” as distinct from “homeopathic” medicine. Allopathy means treatment of disease by means that have effects opposite to that which is being treated, whereas homeopathy means treatment which has effects similar to that being treated and has been well discredited in scientific investigations.2,3) But Nelson proved hard to work with, and soon the Chamberlains left CSC and started their own organizations, Manrise Corporation (1971) and The Alcor Society for Solid State Hypothermia (1972). Two organizations were wanted in this case: Manrise, a for-profit, would provide cryonics services including long-term, cryogenic storage, while Alcor, a non-profit, could accept anatomical donations, that is to say, members legally deceased, who would then be serviced by Manrise.
Prehistory through 1970s Startup Alcor, the creation of Fred and Linda Chamberlain, has roots going back to the very early cryonics movement. A pivotal event in starting this movement was the 1964 publication (by Doubleday) of The Prospect of Immortality by Robert Ettinger. There the idea of freezing the newly deceased for possible, eventual revival was introduced and given justification on scientific and other grounds. A second major milestone was the formation, in 1965, of the Cryonics Society of New York (CSNY), an organization dedicated to implementing Ettinger’s idea and assisting in the formation of similar organizations in other parts of the country and possibly elsewhere. (The term “cryonics” was coined by one of the New York group, Karl Werner, specifically for this organization, but soon was being applied to the practice as a whole.) The two leading CSNY activists, Curtis Henderson and Saul Kent, made a cross country trip in 1966 which resulted in the formation of Cryonics societies in Michigan (Ettinger’s home state) and California (CSM, CSC, respectively), the latter headed by Robert Nelson in the Los Angeles area. By the end of 1970 Fred Chamberlain and Linda McClintock, who had independently read Ettinger’s book with approval, had both joined CSC, and had met and become a couple. Fred meanwhile had become vice president of CSC. At Nelson’s suggestion the Chamberlains worked to form a “rescue group”
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Fred and Linda Chamberlain about the time they founded Alcor
Alcor’s Incorporation Alcor, officially named the Alcor Society for Solid State Hypothermia, came into being in the State of California on Feb. 23, 1972. (“Solid state hypothermia” is synonymous, essentially, with “the state of cryopreservation.”) The articles of incorporation, signed Jan. 27, 1972 and amended May 1 that year, list the primary purposes of the organization and limit its activities accordingly:4 The purposes for which this corporation is formed are: (a) The specific and primary purposes are to conduct, promote, encourage, and further research and study in the field of cryobiology, including the induction of solid state hypothermia.
Cryonics / 1st Quarter 2022
www.alcor.org
