Physicians for Social Responsibility is a professional organization of doctors committed to professional and public education on the dangers of nuclear weapons and nuclear war. The national organization, formed in 1961, oversees state and local chapters throughout the country.
La Crosse area physicians met on April 28, 1982, to form a local chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility. Thirteen doctors signed a formal petition for membership status; they were: Dr. Dean E. Whiteway, Dr. Charles A. Rodman, Dr. Allen G. Brailey, Dr. Robert W. Ramlow, Dr. William B. Gallagher, Dr. Stephen E. Kraft, Dr. Robert Miller, Dr. William Agger, Dr. Cameron F. Roberts, Dr. Robert Whiteway, Dr. Rudolph M. Keimowitz, Dr. Richard M. Feddersen, and Dr. William A. Morgan. Two other doctors, Dr. Michael E. Nesemann and Dr. Michael H. Mader, were members but did not sign the petition due to an oversight. PSR/La Crosse was accepted for chapter status on July 26, 1982.
PSR/La Crosse sponsored numerous programs to educate the community on the dangers of nuclear war. Speakers came to present information to PSR/La Crosse. Members of the organization often spoke to groups in the community. Film screenings and discussions frequently took place.
The most well known program sponsored by PSR/La Crosse was the Festival of Lanterns that served as a memorial to those who suffered and died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The first lantern floating ceremony, headed by Dr. Cameron Gundersen, took place on Saturday, August 3, 1985, at Riverside Park in La Crosse. The event continued on an annual basis until 1993, but on a smaller scale.
The International Peace Lantern Exchange Project (IPLEP), also sponsored by PSR/La Crosse, was originated by Jim and Peggy Baumgartner and modeled on the Festival of Lanterns. Peace lanterns made by children in one country were exchanged with peace lanterns made by children in another country. Lantern floats then took place the first Saturday in August. The first IPLEP lantern float took place on August 2, 1986. Some countries that participated in lantern floats included the Soviet Union, China, England, Japan, and Germany. The last local IPLEP lantern float may have been in 1991.
By March 1992, with the end of the Cold War, PSR/La Crosse began to explore whether or not they could focus on other areas of concern. PSR/La Crosse continued in a dormant state in order to preserve the possibility of funding other lantern floating festivals. The chapter formally disbanded on April 20, 1995.
