New book details 'troubling history' of eugenics in Texas

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Eugenics, or the pseudoscience of human breeding, reached the height of its notoriety in the early 1900s but never truly disappeared, according to a new book that examines the influence that the debunked movement had on Texas.

“The Purifying Knife: The Troubling History of Eugenics in Texas,” written by Michael Phillips and Betsy Friauf, was published this week. It examines the history and influence of eugenics in the state.

Co-author and former history professor Dr.