ABSTRACT
A major objective of the Eugenics Movement was to develop a model law that would be adopted nationwide. After several attempts, a basic template was agreed upon in the early 1920s. The State of Virginia was a leader. In 1927, the Supreme Court, in Buck v. Bell, legitimized Virginia's statute following a contrived trial and appeal. Numerous states soon adopted similar statutes. In 1933, the newly formed government of Adolph Hitler took note and adopted a close approximation of the laws passed in the United States. Some 3 years later, the model law's author, Harry Laughlin, was given an honorary degree from Heidelberg University in recognition of his work on racial cleansing.
