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Remembering Kenneth Edelin, A Doctor Turned Activist

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A Boston doctor at the center of a landmark abortion case in the 1970s has died. Dr. Kenneth Edelin was convicted of manslaughter in 1975 in Suffolk Superior Court for performing an abortion two years after the Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion. His conviction was later overturned by the state Supreme Court, and he went on to be an abortion-rights activist, including chairman of the board of Planned Parenthood. Edelin died on Monday in Florida at the age of 74.

Dr. Paula Johnson, Executive Director of the Connors Center for women’s health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, joined WBUR’s Morning Edition. Dr. Johnson is also a former board chair of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts who knew Dr. Edelin.

This program aired on December 31, 2013.

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Bob Oakes Senior Correspondent
Bob Oakes was a senior correspondent in the WBUR newsroom, a role he took on in 2021 after nearly three decades hosting WBUR's Morning Edition.

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