4 minute read
Chronicling infamous people and events
Story by Tom Waring
Photos By Jamie Stow
Author, lecturer and researcher Allen Hornblum has written eight books, and the topics have certainly varied.
The 75-year-old Huntingdon Valley resident, who jokes that he grew up with a feathered pen and an inkwell, has written on medical ethics, prison atrocities, organized crime, Soviet espionage and sports.
“My niche has been all of the infamous people and events that came out of Philadelphia that nobody addressed,” he said.
Hornblum is a Philadelphia native with a history degree from Penn State and master’s degrees in history from Villanova and public administration from Temple.
In his professional career, he’s had jobs in an array of fields. He’s been a literacy instructor in Philadelphia prisons, an aide to U.S. Rep. Josh Eilberg, a lecturer at Temple, director of the local chapter of Americans for Democratic Action and chief of staff for the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office.
As for his spare time? Hornblum is a member of the Delaware Valley Tennis Club and the Holy Redeemer fitness center, walks his dog through the Bryn Athyn College and Academy of the New Church campuses and enjoys watching the eagles, deer and foxes.
After a lifetime living in Philadelphia, he moved two years ago to Huntingdon Valley.
“I should have done it years ago,” he said. “It’s nice there.” delphia Sh iff’s Office.
It was in 1994, when Hornblum was working for the Sheriff’s Office, that he decided to make a career change. The reason was related to what he saw working in Philadelphia’s Holmesburg Prison in the early 1970s.
While working in prisons, he’d see men wearing adhesive patches and bandages. Some of them had pimples, pock marks and scars all over their bodies. A guard told him what he saw was the result of medical experiments. Inmates – Hornblum calls them “guinea pigs” – desperate for money agreed to the experiments. They could make $1.50 a day, a lot of money in prisons back then, in hopes of possibly making bail.
“I was just stunned by it,” he said.
The experiments went on for more than 20 years before ending in 1974, but Hornblum never forgot what he witnessed. He left the Sheriff’s Office to write a book on the experiments.
“I committed to doing this research,” he said. “I was committed to illuminate what had become customary in Philly prisons and around the country.”
The result was Acres of Skin: Human Experiments at Holmesburg Prison.
That would be Hornblum’s first book, published in 1998 when he was 50. He’s written seven more and is working on a book related to the 75th anniversary of the Nuremberg Code.
In general, Hornblum wrote his books after finding it curious that others had not tackled the subject matter. He thinks some of them are film worthy.
Writing books, he said, requires a lot of research in libraries and on websites, along with double- and triple-checking footnotes. There are interviews with people who don’t always want to talk, depending on the questions, such as the K&A gangsters he said threatened to throw him in the Delaware River with cement boots.
Serious subject matter requires making sure to have accurate documentation to avoid potential legal issues. Then there’s the final hurdle, getting published.
“It’s hard work doing research on the topics I tackled,” Hornblum said. “But it gives you a heightened sense of accomplishment.” — 19006
To schedule Hornblum for a talk, call 215-331-0537 or email ahornblum@comcast.net.
As for his spare time? Hornblum is a memb of the Delaware Valley Tennis Club and the Holy Redeem fitne cent , walks his dog t ough the Bryn Athyn Coege and Academy of the New Church cam- puses and enjoys watching the eagles, d and foxes. Aft a lifetime living in Philadelphia, he moved two years ago to Huntingdon Vaey.
“I should have done it years ago,” he said. “It’s nice th e.”
Acres of Skin was followed many years later by a related book, Sentenced to Science: One Black Man’s Story of Imprisonment in America
Hornblum’s first book told the story of healthy men being intentionally exposed to pharmaceuticals, viruses, fungus, asbestos and dioxin. The treatments were led by University of Pennsylvania Dr. Albert Kligman, a renowned dermatologist who coinvented Retin-A.
Acres of Skin became a national story, and the scandal remains in the news, as there are a few survivors who could be in line for reparations. Penn apologized and stripped Kligman, a major donor to the university, of his honors. The City of Philadelphia and the College of Physicians of Philadelphia have issued apologies.
The story has generated international interest. Hornblum, for instance, was recently profiled in Le Monde, a large newspaper in France.
“It really hit its mark,” the author said of Acres of Skin
In addition to the two prison-related books, Hornblum has authored:
• Against Their Will: The Secret History of Medical Experimentation on Children in Cold War America
• Confessions of a Second Story Man: Junior Kripplebauer and the K&A Gang
It was in 1994, when Hornblum was working for the Sh iff’s Office, that he decided to make a car change. The reason was related to what he saw working in Philadelphia’s Holmesburg Prison in the early 1970s. While working in prisons, he’d see men wearing adhesive patches and bandages. Some of them had pimples, pock marks and scars a ov the bodies. A guard told him what he saw was the result of medical exp iments. Inmates – Hornblum cas them “guinea pigs” – desp - ate for money agreed to the exp iments. They could make $1.50 a day, a lot of money in prisons back then, in hopes of po ibly making bail.
• The Invisible Harry Gold: The Man Who Gave the Soviets the Atom Bomb
• American Colossus: Big Bill Tilden and the Creation of Modern Tennis
• The Klondike Bake Oven Deaths
• Philadelphia’s City Hall (Images of America)
Hornblum enjoys playing tennis, so the book on Tilden was a particular joy to write.
“He’s arguably the greatest athlete to ever come out of Philadelphia. He dominated tennis,” he said.
“I was ju unned by it,” he said. The exp iments went on for more than 20 years before ending in 1974, but Hornblum nev forgot what he witne ed. He left the Sh iff’s Office to ite a b k on the exp iments.
“I co ed to doing this research,” he said. “I was co i ed to il- luminate what had become cu omary in Phiy prisons and around the
