Beyond Death and Dying

In the late 1960s, LIFE magazine was one of the most widely read and influential periodicals in the world. Renowned for its photojournalism, the general-interest magazine covered all aspects of American life. The November 21, 1969, edition was no exception. It included a review of what would be The Beatles’ final studio album, a profile of Ohio State University head football coach Woody Hayes, and an advertisement for a commemorative book on that summer’s moon landing. It also featured an article on a little-known University of Chicago psychiatrist, Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, and her groundbreaking work with terminally ill patients. In an era when public discourse about death and dying was almost non-existent and when many physicians believed that a patient was better off not knowing his or her prognosis, Kübler-Ross was encouraging candid and open conversations with people about their impending deaths. Her innovative approach and courage to challenge the status quo drew the interest of LIFE editor Loudon Wainwright. His captivating story introducing Kübler-Ross and her new book, On Death and Dying, would forever change the national conversation about end-of-life and grief. The article described Kübler-Ross’s seminar teaching clinicians about the experiences of terminally ill patients. Physicians, nurses, chaplains, and medical students watched through a one-way mirror as she interviewed a twenty-two-year-old woman who had been diagnosed just two weeks earlier with leukemia, which at that time was almost always fatal. Large black-and-white pictures of the patient showed a vibrant and beautiful young woman with long hair and a wide smile. She looked nothing like someone close to death, which in some ways was the point. She talked about her diagnosis and understanding that leukemia would almost certainly kill her. Her willingness to openly discuss the prospect of her own death must have been astounding to those observing the interview. Kübler-Ross theorized that people facing their own mortality proceed through five stages prior to their death. In the first stage, the person is unable or unwilling to accept that he or she is going to die (Denial).