Rock, John, 1890-1984

John Charles Rock (1890-1984), was the founder of the Rock Reproductive Study Center at the Free Hospital for Women in Brookline, Mass., and Clinical Professor of Gynecology at Harvard Medical School. Rock collaborated with colleague Gregory Pincus and Pincus's assistant Min-Chueh Chang, during the 1950s in the clinical trials and development of oral contraceptives, commonly known as the birth control pill. Rock is also credited with colleague Arthur Hertig and laboratory assistant Miriam F. Menkin for completing the earliest human in vitro fertilization experiments in the United States in 1944. As a fertility specialist, gynecologist, and medical educator, Rock, a Roman Catholic, gained notoriety for advocating the usage of birth control despite his religious beliefs. His research areas included fertility, early stages of contraception, human embryo development,in vitro fertilization, the freezing and preservation of sperm cells, and clinical disorders of human reproductive physiology.

From the description of Personal and Professional Papers, 1918-1983. (Harvard University). WorldCat record id: 281439003