Difference between revisions of "Beulah George Tann"
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[[File:Georgia_Tann.jpg|thumb|Georgia Tann, 1947.]] |
[[File:Georgia_Tann.jpg|thumb|Georgia Tann, 1947.]] |
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| − | [[Beulah George Tann]], better known as '''Georgia Tann''', (July 18, 1891 – September 15, 1950), was an American child trafficker who operated the Tennessee Children's Home Society, an adoption agency in Memphis, Tennessee. Tann used the unlicensed home as a front for her black market baby adoption scheme from the 1920s. Young children were kidnapped and then sold to wealthy families, abused, or—in some instances—murdered. A state investigation into numerous instances of adoption fraud led to the closure of the institution in 1950. Tann died of cancer before the investigation made its findings public. Tann's custom of placing children with influential members of society normalized adoption in the U.S., and many of her adoption policies (often designed to obfuscate the origin of her adoptees) have become standard practice. |
+ | [[Beulah George Tann]], better known as '''Georgia Tann''', (July 18, 1891 – September 15, 1950), was an American child trafficker who operated the Tennessee Children's Home Society, an adoption agency in Memphis, Tennessee. Tann used the unlicensed home as a front for her black market baby adoption scheme from the 1920s. Young children were kidnapped and then sold to wealthy families, abused, or—in some instances—murdered. A state investigation into numerous instances of adoption fraud led to the closure of the institution in 1950. Tann died of cancer before the investigation made its findings public. Tann's custom of placing children with influential members of society normalized adoption in the U.S., and many of her adoption policies (often designed to obfuscate the origin of her adoptees) have become standard practice. |
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| + | == Black Market Adoptions == |
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| + | At the time, so-called "black market" adoptions were not illegal, but were considered ethically and morally wrong.[11] Reasons of the day included the fact that young, unwed mothers were often coerced to give up wanted children, the suitability of the parents was often ignored, information about the child's heritage and medical history was lost, and adoptive parents were unaware of any physical or mental illness.[11] |
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| + | The Tennessee governor of the time, Gordon Browning, launched an investigation into the society on September 11, 1950, after receiving reports that the agency was selling children for profit.[9] He assigned Memphis attorney Robert Taylor to the case.[11] Two days later, the story was published in the media nationwide, including in the Memphis, Tennessee Commercial Appeal and The New York Times.[11] Public Welfare Commissioner J. O. McMahan accused Tann and her cohorts of receiving as much as US$1 million in profits.[11] The Tennessee Children's Home Society was closed in 1950.[31] The state of Tennessee sued Tann's estate for $500,000.[32] |
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Revision as of 00:41, 3 August 2023
Beulah George Tann, better known as Georgia Tann, (July 18, 1891 – September 15, 1950), was an American child trafficker who operated the Tennessee Children's Home Society, an adoption agency in Memphis, Tennessee. Tann used the unlicensed home as a front for her black market baby adoption scheme from the 1920s. Young children were kidnapped and then sold to wealthy families, abused, or—in some instances—murdered. A state investigation into numerous instances of adoption fraud led to the closure of the institution in 1950. Tann died of cancer before the investigation made its findings public. Tann's custom of placing children with influential members of society normalized adoption in the U.S., and many of her adoption policies (often designed to obfuscate the origin of her adoptees) have become standard practice.
Black Market Adoptions
At the time, so-called "black market" adoptions were not illegal, but were considered ethically and morally wrong.[11] Reasons of the day included the fact that young, unwed mothers were often coerced to give up wanted children, the suitability of the parents was often ignored, information about the child's heritage and medical history was lost, and adoptive parents were unaware of any physical or mental illness.[11]
The Tennessee governor of the time, Gordon Browning, launched an investigation into the society on September 11, 1950, after receiving reports that the agency was selling children for profit.[9] He assigned Memphis attorney Robert Taylor to the case.[11] Two days later, the story was published in the media nationwide, including in the Memphis, Tennessee Commercial Appeal and The New York Times.[11] Public Welfare Commissioner J. O. McMahan accused Tann and her cohorts of receiving as much as US$1 million in profits.[11] The Tennessee Children's Home Society was closed in 1950.[31] The state of Tennessee sued Tann's estate for $500,000.[32]
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