Arnold S. Relman
A medical conscience who, as editor of the NEJM, fought to protect scientific integrity from the corrupting influence of commerce.
1923–2014 (age 91)·American internist, professor and journal editor·Birthday: June 17·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Arnold 'Bud' Relman was the fierce guardian of medicine's soul during a period of rapid commercialization. A respected physician and professor at Harvard, his most influential role began in 1977 when he took the helm of The New England Journal of Medicine. He viewed the journal not just as a publisher, but as a public trust. Alarmed by the growing ties between industry and research, Relman instituted revolutionary policies, most famously requiring authors to disclose financial conflicts of interest—a standard that reshaped all of scientific publishing. He battled the 'medical-industrial complex' in editorials, arguing that for-profit healthcare corrupted medical judgment. After retiring from the NEJM, he continued to advocate for a single-payer, nonprofit system with the clarity of a diagnostician identifying a disease. His career was a sustained argument that medicine's primary ethic must be patient welfare, not profit.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Arnold was born in 1923, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arnold Was Born
The biggest hits of 1923
#1 Movie
The Covered Wagon
Arnold's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1923Born
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1928Started school
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1936Became a teenager
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Could drive
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1941Could vote
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Turned 21
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1953Turned 30
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 40
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 50
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 60
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 70
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 80
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2014Died at 91
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
Key Achievements
- As editor of The New England Journal of Medicine, established the first mandatory conflict-of-interest disclosure policy for authors.
- Popularized and critically analyzed the term 'medical-industrial complex' in a seminal 1980 New England Journal of Medicine article.
- Led the journal to adopt an embargo policy, preventing premature media coverage of scientific studies to ensure accuracy.
Did You Know?
He was known to friends and colleagues by the nickname 'Bud.'
Before his editorial career, he was a leading researcher in kidney physiology and electrolyte metabolism.
He served as president of the American Federation for Clinical Research and the American Society for Clinical Investigation.
“The medical profession must not allow itself to become the handmaiden of the medical-industrial complex.”
