Page "Eugenics Board of North Carolina" Paragraph 10

The State of North Carolina first enacted sterilization legislation in 1919.

The 1919 law was the first foray for North Carolina into eugenics ; this law, entitled " An Act to Benefit the Moral, Mental, or Physical Conditions of Inmates of Penal and Charitable Institutions " was quite brief, encompassing only 4 sections.

Provision was made for creation of a Board of Consultation, made up of a member of the medical staff of any of the penal or charitable State institutions, and a representative of the State Board of Health, to oversee sterilization that was to be undertaken when " in the judgement of the board hereby created, said operation would be for the improvement of the mental, moral or physical conditions of any inmate of any of the said institutions ".

The Board of Consultation would have reported to both the Governor and the Secretary of the State Board of Health.

No sterilizations were performed under the provisions of this law, though its structure was to guide following legislation.