Robert Edwards, 1925–2013

last updated 8 January 2015

On July 25, 1978, British physiologist Robert Edwards and his colleague Patrick Steptoe announced the birth of Louise Joy Brown, a 5 pound, 12 ounce bundle of controversy. Brown was the world’s first test tube baby, the result of a decade of research into in vitro fertilization (IVF). The Catholic Church accused Edwards and Steptoe of wanting to play God. Edwards, who had five daughters, insisted that he was motivated simply by the belief that infertile couples had the right to a family. “The most important thing in life is having a child,” he said.

Born in Yorkshire, Edwards “began working on fertilization techniques in the 1950s,” said USA Today. Scientists had shown that rabbit egg cells could be fertilized in culture dishes with sperm and then implanted in a female rabbit to produce viable embryos. The University of Cambridge professor wondered if a child could be conceived the same way, and in 1968 teamed with gynecologist Steptoe to try it.

The scientists pursued their research despite “opposition from churches, governments, and many in the media,” said Reuters.com, relying on private donations to fund their work. Brown’s birth in 1978 vindicated their efforts and proved that IVF was safe and effective. Since then, more than 5 million IVF babies have been born worldwide, and in 2010 Edwards was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine. His greatest reward, though, was the joy he brought to families. “He created life,” said Elizabeth Comeau, America’s first IVF baby. “And he created hope for those who thought hope was lost.”