C. Henry Kempe

Who is C. Henry Kempe?

Dr. C. Henry Kempe was a pediatrician and the first in the medical community to identify and recognize child abuse.

In 1962, Dr. Kempe and Dr. Brandt F. Steele published the paper, "The Battered Child Syndrome." Publishing this paper led to the identification and recognition by the medical community of child abuse.

Dr. Kempe received two nominations for the Nobel Prize. The first nomination was for his work in developing a safer smallpox vaccine. The second nomination was recognition for his contribution to the prevention and treatment of child abuse. Due to the efforts of Dr. Kempe, abuse reporting laws exist in all 50 states. His efforts also led to the passage of the 1972 Colorado law requiring legal counsel for the child in all cases of suspected abuse.