President Franklin D Roosevelt (1882–1945) and Doctor Frank Howard Lahey’s (1880–1953) dilemma: The complexities of medical confidentiality with World Leaders

Abstract

In the months before the Presidential Election of November 1944, there were serious concerns about the health of President Franklin D Roosevelt. He had lost considerable weight and his once robust appearance had given way to a tired and haggard look. Despite these worrisome observations, Vice-Admiral Ross T McIntire, who served as Franklin Roosevelt’s personal physician from 1933 until Roosevelt’s death, lied when he proclaimed Roosevelt to be in ‘excellent condition for a man of his age’. The truth about Roosevelt’s health was further obscured when Roosevelt’s medical records disappeared.