Back in March 2006 I wrote a blog about Georgia Tann and Black Market Adoptions. That blog is accessible at http://birthfamily-search.adoptionblogs.com/weblogs/georgia-tann.

Today, I learned of a new book that is coming out about Georgia Tann via a news article at http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/Content?oid=oid%3A24386.

The story of Georgia Tann is being told by New York author Barbara Raymond in the book titled The Baby Thief: The Untold Story of Georgia Tann, The Baby Seller Who Corrupted Adoption. The book is being published by Caroll & Graff and will be out on April 28, 2007.

Georgia Tann ran an adoption for profit scandal that rocked Memphis, TN in the 1950’s. Georgia Tann operated the Tennessee Children’s Home on Popular Avenue in the 1930’s and 1940. Authorities then realized that Georgia Tann was selling babies to wealthy families who wanted children. Because of the political connections that Georgia Tann had some of the authorities looked the other way and some actually helped provide her with an endless supply of children.

Georgia Tann worked with Juvenile Court Judge Camille Kelly who removed children from homes she deemed unsuitable and Georgia Tann arranged for the adoptions of more than 5,000 of these children. Her clients (prospective adoptive parents) included Hollywood stars such as Joan Crawford, who adopted two of her four children from the Tennessee Children’s Home. For some of the adoption Georgia Tann arranged she would charge as much as $5000 at a time when the fees for a legal adoption rarely topped $750.

This all came to a stop when the Governor of Tennessee called for an investigation of the agency and found that the organization had grossed one million dollars for Georgia Tann. During the investigation local attorneys and justices were found to be part of the network of adoption that allowed adoptive parents to be out of state residents.