20 Facts About Daniel Callahan

Daniel John Callahan was an American philosopher who played a leading role in developing the field of biomedical ethics as co-founder of The Hastings Center, the world's first bioethics research institute.

Daniel Callahan served as the Director of The Hastings Center from 1969 to 1983, president from 1984 to 1996, and president emeritus from 1996 to 2019.

Daniel Callahan was the author or editor of 47 books.

Daniel Callahan was born in Washington, DC, on July 19,1930.

In high school Callahan was a swimmer and chose to attend Yale University because of its competitive swimming program.

From 1961 to 1968, Daniel Callahan worked as executive editor of Commonweal, a Catholic journal of opinion.

Daniel Callahan became an influential writer and author within Catholic intellectual circles during this period, which was a tumultuous time in the Catholic Church.

Daniel Callahan would remain involved in debates over abortion for years to come and was often interviewed by the media on this subject.

In 1969, Daniel Callahan cofounded the Hastings Center with Willard Gaylin, a noted psychiatrist.

Daniel Callahan served as the center's director from its inception to September 1,1996.

In 1987, Daniel Callahan published Setting Limits: Medical Goals in an Aging Society, a book that argued that US society would need to limit expensive care for those very elderly Americans, who were unlikely to live long or good lives.

In 2009, Daniel Callahan was interviewed by NPR about his reflections on Setting Limits as he aged and responded to charges of hypocrisy for benefitting from expensive medical interventions.

Daniel Callahan followed up on Setting Limits with a series of books on health care, aging, technology and mortality.

Daniel Callahan lectured widely on his ideas on health care during this period through the United States and Europe.

Daniel Callahan was a professor of psychology at Mercy University.

Daniel Callahan was an elected member of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences; a member of the Director's Advisory Committee, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and of the Advisory Council, Office of Scientific Responsibility, Department of Health and Human Services.

Daniel Callahan was awarded the Freedom and Scientific Responsibility Award of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1996.

Daniel Callahan was awarded the 2008 Centennial Medal of the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Daniel Callahan testified in Congress on stem cell research and other issues.

Daniel Callahan contributed articles to The New York Times, Daedalus, Harpers, The Atlantic, the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, The New Republic, Health Affairs, and other newspapers and journals.