A Club with Perks—and a Hidden Price
In 1949, boys at the Fernald State School in Massachusetts were offered a chance to join a “Science Club.” Members got Red Sox tickets, Mickey Mouse watches, and extra breakfasts. But behind the privileges was an undisclosed experiment: the oatmeal they were fed was laced with radioactive tracers. The club was part of a study led by MIT scientists and backed by the Atomic Energy Commission, with Quaker Oats providing the cereal.
The Experiment Behind the Cereal Bowl
From the late 1940s through the early 1950s, 74 boys between the ages of 10 and 17 consumed cereal and milk containing radioactive iron and calcium. Some were also injected with radioactive calcium. The studies aimed to measure how the body absorbed nutrients and were used by Quaker to counter claims that its oats blocked iron absorption more than rival Cream of Wheat.
Secrets Uncovered Decades Later
The boys didn’t learn the truth until 1993, after the Department of Energy declassified documents. Lawsuits followed, and in 1998, a $1.85 million settlement was reached. President Clinton issued a formal apology in 1995.
From Study to Senate
A Senate hearing questioned why the most vulnerable children had been chosen. Senator Edward Kennedy asked why the tests weren’t done on students from MIT. No clear answer was given.
In 1949, boys at the Fernald State School joined a “Science Club” for Red Sox tickets, Mickey Mouse watches, and extra breakfasts. But their oatmeal was secretly laced with radioactive tracers. What seemed like a fun opportunity became a decades-long secret of human experiments🧵 pic.twitter.com/O8jB9Oyfur
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) March 24, 2025