Pod Insights American Scandal The Woman Who Sold Babies | The Judge's Daughter | 1 About this episode In the early 20th century, a young woman named Georgia Tann begins her career in social work and becomes determined to change adoption in America—even if it means destroying lives and tearing families apart.
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0:00 Lindsay Graham? Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. A listener note: This episode contains descriptions of child abuse. Please listen with care. And to protect our privacy, we have changed the names of all children involved in this story. It's late on September 11, 1950, at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville.
0:41 Lindsay Graham? There's a buzz of anticipation in the press briefing room as reporters from across the state take their seats. Everyone is wondering what could be so urgent that the governor has called a press conference. One of the last to find her place is Nellie Kenyon, a 51-year-old reporter for The Nashville Tennessean. She's been doing this job long enough to know that an announcement made this late in the day is either very good news or very bad. The room falls silent as Tennessee Governor Gordon Browning walks in, flanked by several officials. The governor's round face is unusually solemn as he steps up to the podium. Kenyon edges forward in her seat, her notepad and pen at the ready. Good evening.
1:26 Lindsay Graham? Thank you all for being here so late. I appreciate it. I understand there are various rumors circulating, and I want to go on the record with you as soon as possible. Earlier this month, under my orders, investigators began looking into claims that a black-market adoption ring is operating in the city of Memphis. After their initial inquiries, we believe those allegations have merit, so I can announce tonight that we are launching a full-scale investigation into the activities of the Tennessee Children's Home Society. Governor Browning looks up from his notes to look directly at the reporters. Now, while that investigation continues, I can't say too much, but let me be clear: There can be nothing more revolting than the trafficking of babies for profit. That's proven to be the case in Memphis.
2:11 Lindsay Graham? I propose to use whatever means necessary to make those guilty accountable for their actions. Now, I know it's late, but I'll take a few questions. Kenyon shoots her hand up. Yes, you there. Thank you, Governor. Nellie Kenyon from the Tennessean. How long do you think this black market trade has been going on? And do you have any idea how many victims there might be? Yes, I've spoken with the heads of various agencies, both here in Nashville and in Memphis, and they've confirmed hearing rumors about something like this for several years. But for one of a reason, my predecessor didn't act. So you will have to ask him why. I am taking action now. And the victims, sir? Do you know how many? It's really too soon to say. Well, what are we talking? Dozens? Hundreds? Potentially thousands.
2:54 Lindsay Graham? Browning looks away to another journalist, but Kenyon isn't done yet. Governor, one more if I may? Yeah, go on. Do you believe this was the work of multiple people colluding, or are you investigating a single person? Well, it's still too early to rule anything out at this stage, but our attentions are focused solely on the Memphis branch of the Tennessee Children's Home Society, and its head, Miss Georgia Tan.
3:19 Lindsay Graham? All around the room, journalists scribble down this crucial detail. But Kenyon knows there's no point trying to reach Georgia Tan for comment. Earlier this week, Kenyon read a press release sent out by the Tennessee Children's Home Society. According to that statement, Tan is gravely ill. She's been confined to her bed for several weeks and is unable to receive visitors. But now, as Kenyon listens to the governor answer questions from other reporters, she can't help but wonder if Tan's illness is genuine, or if she got word about the impending investigation and is simply trying to hide. Either way, there's nothing she can do now. The truth about Georgia Tan is about to be revealed.
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4:33 Lindsay Graham? Hi, I'm Lindsay Graham, the host of the podcast American Scandal. In our latest series, Benedict Arnold turns his back on the Continental Army and secretly defects. He plots to hand over the most important fortress in the colonies to the British and doom the revolution he once served. Listen to American Scandal on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts.
5:01 Lindsay Graham? From Wondery, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is American Scandal.
5:26 Lindsay Graham? In September 1950, Tennessee was rocked by revelations that an illegal adoption ring had been operating in the city of Memphis for more than two decades. Georgia Tan of the Tennessee Children's Home Society was named as the mastermind behind a criminal operation that had seen hundreds of children kidnapped, taken from their families, and sold to new parents on a black market. Tan was far from a minor figure. By 1950, she had built up a national profile as an advocate for adoption. She had advised First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on the subject during the 1930s and was personally invited to the inauguration of President Harry Truman in recognition of her work.
6:07 Lindsay Graham? Through her efforts, Tan had helped transform how orphaned and abandoned children were cared for in America. Once, adoption had been uncommon and stigmatized as something unnatural, but by 1950, it was seen as a respectable and laudable way of finding new homes for children in need. But behind the facade of charity and kindness, however, Tan was ruthlessly using her position to become rich and powerful at the expense of the vulnerable. She removed children from loving homes through deception, coercion, and the abuse of institutions designed to protect them. But she did not act alone. A powerful network of politicians, judges, doctors, nurses, and social workers aided and protected Tan for decades.
6:50 Lindsay Graham? Some of them profited from the trade in babies. Others simply knew when to look the other way. But all of them helped Tan build and maintain her cruel business. And by the time questions were finally asked about what was really happening at the Tennessee Children's Home Society, it was too late. This is episode one, "The Judge's Daughter."
7:14 Lindsay Graham? It's 1915 in the small town of Hickory, Mississippi. Car turns off a country road, and the dim glow of its headlights illuminates a ramshackle cabin just visible through the trees. The car comes to a halt, and a thick-set man in his mid-50s climbs out from behind the wheel. Judge George Tan stares at the cabin, just listening for a moment. The front door hangs slightly open, but the windows are dark and the cabin is silent. Judge Tan then turns back to the car, and in a clear, strong voice, calls for a flashlight. His 24-year-old daughter, Georgia, quickly emerges from the car with a flashlight in one hand and an oil lamp in the other. She hands the flashlight to her father, and then lights the lamp.
7:58 Lindsay Graham? Together, they head toward the house. Normally, both Judge Tan and Georgia would be in bed by now, but an urgent phone call interrupted their evening and brought them out to this secluded cabin. Earlier today, a local woman was arrested for intoxication. She's a known drug addict, and as punishment, the authorities detained her in an asylum, along with her children. But around an hour ago, the woman came down off her high, and then began screaming for her baby. But the police hadn't taken any babies. They thought the woman only had school-aged children, and they were all accounted for. That's when Judge Tan was called. He sits on the bench of Mississippi's Second Chancery District Court,
8:40 Lindsay Graham? which means he handles most of the region's custody and orphan cases. He also lives in Hickory, just a short drive from this cabin. So officials at the asylum asked him if he could check on the woman's house and see if there was anything to her claims of a missing baby. And when Judge Tan's daughter, Georgia, heard about this request, she insisted on coming along. Judge Tan doesn't mind that she's here. In fact, he thinks dealing with lost children like this is women's work. Though as he looks at Georgia, he can't help feeling she's not turned out as much of a lady. As usual, she's wearing slacks and a flannel shirt. And with her recently cropped hair in the darkness, she looks more like a man than a woman to her father. Still, Judge Tan hopes that if they find this baby,
9:24 Lindsay Graham? some feminine instinct might kick in and Georgia will know what to do. So reaching the front porch, Judge Tan eases the door and they both head inside. It's the smell that hits them first, a lingering, sickly, sweet odor of rotting food and unwashed clothes. And as they begin their search for the missing child, Judge Tan can't help complaining on where his career has taken him. He thought that when he was elected as judge last year, it would have been the proudest appointment of his life. He didn't think that a few months later, he'd be sifting through a filthy shack trying to find a dope fiend's lost baby. Hearing this, Georgia turns, her eyes flashing with anger. She tells her father that he shouldn't talk about an innocent baby that way.
10:08 Lindsay Graham? But Judge Tan just shakes his head. Georgia is still young. She hasn't seen much of the world yet. From his many years in court, Judge Tan knows that sadly, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. If there is a missing baby, it doesn't have much hope of growing up better than its mom. But Georgia is insistent. There's no reason to think that just because the mother's life has gone off the rails, that the baby is doomed too. With proper love and care, any child can become a good citizen. Judge Tan rolls his eyes and sighs. Even if that were true, none of this should be his job. There should be police or social workers dealing with this woman and her baby. And there should be a panel of experts that help him decide what to do with all the other children who come through his court.
10:52 Lindsay Graham? If he sounds harsh, he tells Georgia it's only because he's frustrated. He does want to help children, but he doesn't have the tools he needs. Suddenly, Georgia holds up her hand for silence. Something is moving. It could just be a rat, but it's the first sign of life they've heard. They stand and listen for a moment. The rustling noise comes again. Georgia follows the sound to what looks like a pile of rags on the couch. She lifts aside a threadbare blanket to find a tiny infant kicking its legs and whimpering quietly. Georgia scoops the child up, and she and her father hurry back to the car. The baby is cold and hungry, and the sudden arrival of rescuers has it now screaming out for milk.
11:36 Lindsay Graham? Judge Tan slides into the driver's seat and starts the engine. Georgia climbs in beside him, rocking the crying baby in her arms. Looking over at his daughter, Judge Tan can't help but smile. Georgia may not be the most ladylike, but it does seem she has a way with children after all.
11:56 Lindsay Graham? In 1915, the Tans are one of the most respected families in Newton County. George Tan has been a prominent lawyer in East Mississippi for decades, while his wife can trace her family roots back to frontier times. That pedigree and the Tans' wealth make them pillars of the community in the small town of Hickory. It's something that the couple's daughter Georgia has been aware of all her life. The expectations and demands of her parents have been stifling at times. Back in 1896, when Georgia was five, her father sat her down at a piano and told her she would be a concert pianist someday if she worked hard enough. And from that moment on, he made sure that she did. Georgia's childhood was dominated by endless rounds of lessons and practice.
12:39 Lindsay Graham? But Tan herself would have much preferred being outside, running through the woods, climbing trees, having adventures. But despite her unhappiness, she yearned for her father's approval, and she persisted with piano. When she grew up, she left Hickory to study music at a distinguished college for young women in Virginia. She graduated in 1913 at the age of 22 and returned to Mississippi. She's lived at home ever since and is continuing her music studies. She takes weekly lessons with a professor in the nearby city of Meridian, and she earns a little money by taking on piano students closer to home. But by now, it's obvious even to Judge Tan that his daughter doesn't have the talent to become a professional musician. So Georgia will have to carve out some new career path.
13:24 Lindsay Graham? To most women her age, the obvious answer would be to get married. But Georgia isn't like most women her age. She doesn't want to get married. Georgia prefers the company of women. And besides, she wants to be like her father and do something she considers more meaningful than become a wife and mother. She arrived back in Hickory just in time to see her father be elected as judge for the first time. She's always taken a great interest in his legal work and now spends hours each day watching him preside over his courtroom. There, she sees how his decisions affect the community and how he has the power to change people's lives in an instant with just the swipe of his pen or the bang of his gavel. That's an intriguing idea for Georgia.
14:06 Lindsay Graham? And one day, while she's sitting in the courtroom gallery once again, she notices two young children, a boy and a girl, sitting alone in the far corner of the room. Between cases, Georgia approaches her father and asks about the children. He explains that they've been abandoned by their parents and why they can't afford to care for them or just don't want to. So Judge Tan is placing them in a local orphanage, and he's just waiting for a representative to pick them up. Hearing this, Georgia makes her way to the corner where the siblings are clinging to each other, their eyes wide and frightened. But despite this, Georgia can see that both are attractive children with sweet faces framed by charming soft curls. She doesn't know how or why they came to be separated from their parents, but she's
14:49 Lindsay Graham? sure she could arrange a better future for them than life in an orphanage. Over the next few days, Tan begins knocking on the doors of the wealthier families in and around Hickory. She's become determined to find a home for the abandoned siblings. But despite her family name and her father's position, Georgia knows it's an uphill battle. Adoption was first formalized in law in the United States back in 1851 and slowly became more common over the decades that followed. But in the early 20th century, the number of children finding new homes through adoption remains low. The process is widely regarded as unnatural and is associated with the disgrace of unmarried mothers.
15:32 Lindsay Graham? So instead, it's still large-scale institutions like almshouses and orphanages that handle most children in need of care. So it's not surprising that at first Tan struggles to find anyone to accept the abandoned brother and sister. But she firmly believes that families are the best place for children, not orphanages. So she looks at these first rejections as lessons and starts honing her pitch. Eventually, about three weeks after she first set out, Tan finds a couple willing to adopt the two young children. And when she's there to oversee the arrival of the brother and sister at their new home, Tan feels a rush of satisfaction. She did this, just like her father. She's changed these children's lives forever.
16:14 Lindsay Graham? It's an intoxicating feeling, and one she wants to experience again. Soon after her success with these abandoned children, Georgia Tan pays her father a visit in his chambers. His robes hang on a coat rack by the door, and shelves full of law books line the walls. All through her teenage years, Georgia studied those books, learning statutes and case law. Now she takes a seat across the desk from her father, crossing her ankles neatly as she knows he likes. She's dressed more conservatively than usual, in a simple, dark dress and necklace given to her by her mother. That's because she's made an important decision about her future, and she needs her father's
16:55 Lindsay Graham? approval to make it happen. Georgia glances up at the clock. She knows she doesn't have long before her father must be back in court. "Father?" "Yeah?" He doesn't look up from his work, but Georgia goes on. "I've been thinking about those two children that I helped." "Hmm? What about them?" "It made me reflect on what I wish to do with my life." Judge Tan looks up from his work now, the hint of a smile creeping out from behind his mustache. "I'm pleased to hear that, Georgia. I was very impressed. Your mother and I both were." "Thank you." "The female nurturing instinct is at the heart of any well-ordered society, I believe, and it shows growing maturity on your part, that you no longer seek to dismiss such a natural part of yourself." "Oh, no, Father.
17:40 Lindsay Graham? Helping those children made me realize I want to make a difference to people's lives the same way you do. I want to be a lawyer." "A lawyer? You've already taught me so much. I'm sure with a little more study, I could pass the bar. I'd be the first woman lawyer in Newton County, maybe in all of East Mississippi. If you would just agree to teach me, I know I can do this." Judge Tan is silent for a moment, then looks at his daughter. "I have no doubt you could pass the bar, and you would make a formidable opponent for anyone unlucky enough to face you in court." "Oh, thank you, Father, but my answer is no." "No, I've indulged your interest in my work. Knowledge of the law is a boon for anyone, but practicing it is not a respectable profession for a young lady.
18:22 Lindsay Graham? But there are woman lawyers, not in Newton County, and not my daughter. Now with that settled, I must get back to court." Judge Tan gets to his feet, but Georgia isn't done yet, and as her father gathers his things, she continues to press her case. "Oh, you know I was never gonna be a concert pianist. I am a woman grown. Why can't I choose the course of my own life? Georgia, I let you go to college. I have not forced you into marriage. I have tolerated your unorthodox nature. With the piano, I have simply strived to show you a suitable path, and now you are rejecting that too." "Oh, I've always hated the piano. I hated it." The color drains from Judge Tan's face. "I will not train you, and that is final. I do not think that any of my colleagues will help you either.
19:05 Lindsay Graham? There's not a lawyer in Mississippi who will take you on against my wishes. Then I'll go elsewhere, and how will you support yourself?"
19:14 Lindsay Graham? Georgia has no answer to that. Fuming, she gets to her feet and storms out of her father's office. Georgia knows she won't become a lawyer. Her father is right. He's too well-respected for any of his colleagues to go against his wishes and train her themselves. But she's still determined to make a difference and become someone important one day. She'll just have to find another way.
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21:21 Lindsay Graham? In 1919, 28-year-old Georgia Tan decides it's finally time to strike out on her own. That summer, she moves around 70 miles west from her hometown of Hickory to the city of Jackson, where she takes a job at the Mississippi Children's Home Society. This society was founded seven years earlier in 1912 and is one of the first institutions in the state dedicated to finding new homes for unwanted or neglected children. In her new role, Tan is the supervisor of the society's receiving home. This is where children are housed until a more permanent situation can be arranged for them. But in many cases, that home is never found. In Jackson, Tan sees entire orphanages full of children she believes would be better
22:06 Lindsay Graham? off with good families, but to her frustration, few are ever adopted, and she suspects that many of the children she welcomes to the receiving home are likely to remain in institutions for years to come. Tan only works for the Mississippi Children's Home Society for six months before moving on, but those six months have a profound effect on her, because it's in Jackson that Tan reconnects with someone from her past who changes her life forever. Ann Atwood grew up in Meridian, Mississippi, not far from Tan's hometown of Hickory. Their parents were friends, so the two girls crossed paths several times. Tan is eight years older than Atwood, so they were never close as children, but when
22:46 Lindsay Graham? Atwood starts working at the receiving home in Jackson, she and Tan are soon drawn together. Atwood is a short and delicate-looking woman who loves to paint, a complete contrast with a broad-shouldered Tan, but the attraction between them is irresistible, and they begin a secret romance. It's an unexpected development for Tan, who never imagined that a relationship like this was possible. She might have entertained crushes or even flirtations with other young women at college, but the thought that she would meet someone like herself out in the real world didn't cross her mind. Suddenly, though, Atwood has appeared, and Tan's future doesn't look quite as lonely. So when Tan leaves Jackson in January of 1920, Atwood goes with her.
23:30 Lindsay Graham? Tan briefly takes a post at a children's home in Texas, but that job ends the following year, and by early 1922, Tan and Atwood are back in Mississippi. And it's there where Tan hears about a troubled family living near her parents in Hickory. Iris Humphrey is widowed and pregnant. She also has diabetes, two young children, and no money. It's a terrible situation, and Tan intends to do something about it. Iris lives on a quiet street that's little more than a dirt track running beside a field. Pulling up outside the house, Tan casts a disapproving gaze over the peeling paint and overgrown yard. She pats her pocket to make sure she has everything she needs, and then climbs out of the car.
24:13 Lindsay Graham? She ignores the front door and instead makes her way through the thick grass at the side of the house. As she gets further from the street, Tan can hear the unmistakable sounds of a child at play. At the back of the house, three-year-old Robin Humphrey is racing about the porch, his black hair tousled and his brown eyes bright with excitement. Through a window, Tan can see the boy's mother asleep inside. To Tan's eyes, Iris Humphrey looks disheveled and sickly, in no state to look after children. So Tan moves closer to the porch until the boy notices her. She smiles as warmly as she can and reaches into her pocket. The boy watches carefully, then grins as he sees what Tan has in her hand: a piece of shiny red and white candy.
24:58 Lindsay Graham? When she holds it out to Robin, he rushes forward to grab it. Tan gives him the candy, and then shows him her pocket, where there's plenty more where that came from. Tan beckons Robin to follow her, and she doesn't have to ask twice. Thinking only of the candy, Robin toddles after Tan all the way through the long grass back to her car. There, Tan looks around quickly, making sure no neighbors are watching, before she bundles the little boy into the backseat. She tosses a handful of candy into his lap to keep him quiet, and slides behind the wheel. It's taken her less than five minutes to kidnap Robin Humphrey from his home, and now it's time for Tan to find him a better one.
25:41 Lindsay Graham? After abducting Iris Humphrey's son, Tan drives him directly to her father's courthouse in the nearby town of Meridian. Father and daughter have put their previous disagreements behind them, and Tan hasn't mentioned her dream of becoming a lawyer again. For his part, Judge Tan seems pleased that Georgia has instead found what he considers a suitable feminine career in childcare. So once she arrives at the courthouse, Georgia is able to present her father the little boy. She tells him that Iris Humphrey is not able to care for Robin, so she's taken matters into her own hands. Judge Tan doesn't need much convincing. The Tans have always looked down on poorer people like Iris, and he can easily believe the type of woman Georgia describes could not possibly provide a suitable home for a child like this.
26:27 Lindsay Graham? So the judge immediately has papers drawn up declaring that Iris Humphrey is an unfit mother and that she has abandoned Robin. When he signs the document, he effectively severs Humphrey's custody over her own son, and after that, all Georgia has to do is find a new home for the boy. It doesn't take her long to settle on local couple Clyde and Zeddy Oakley. Tan tells them the story of poor, neglected Robin, and the young couple can't resist. They've already lost two babies during childbirth and are overjoyed to become parents at last, especially to such a bright-eyed, healthy, and affectionate little boy. Clyde and Zeddy's happiness and the story of Robin's neglectful mother soon inspires the greater Oakley family to make another big decision.
27:11 Lindsay Graham? About a month after Tan places Robin in his new home, she receives a phone call at her parents' house in Hickory.
27:21 Lindsay Graham? Yes, this is Georgia Tan. May I help you? Oh, Miss Tan, hello. This is Rufus Oakley. I'm Clyde Oakley's father. Oh, yes, of course, Mr. Oakley. It's a pleasure. How's your new grandson settling in? Everything's going well, I hope? Oh, yes, ma'am, that boy's an angel. Sent from heaven, my wife keeps saying. Sent from heaven. Well, I'm so pleased to hear that, Mr. Oakley. Truly, it makes it all worthwhile. I want you to know that there's been a change in my son, and especially Zeddy. After what they've been through, it's like a weight's been lifted off their shoulders. Well, I can only imagine. I always thought it was somehow unfair that good, respectable folks like your son and wife struggle to start families while others, well, let's just say some people have no business bringing children into this world at all.
28:03 Lindsay Graham? Well, that's sort of exactly what's been on my mind, Miss Tan. My wife and I, we got to talking. What Clyde's told us about the boy's mother, the conditions you found him in, it's been sitting heavy on our hearts. Yes, it's a terrible thing when a woman like that is left to care for children all alone. Thank the Lord little Robin landed with Clyde and Zeddy. Not every child gets so lucky. Well, that's the thing, exactly. Now, am I right in thinking that Robin has siblings? That's what Clyde tells me. Yes, sir, that's right. He has an older brother, Lester. And how old was Lester? From her experience finding children new homes, Tan knows that the older a child is, the less appealing they seem to prospective parents. So she lies. Oh, he's still young. I think maybe five.
28:47 Lindsay Graham? Right at that age where he's just starting to find his way in the world. I suppose he must be in need of a home, too. I would have to check, but as far as I know, he's not been placed yet. Well, now, I don't want to overstep, Ms. Tan, but me and Nellie, we were thinking, and it seems a shame to split them up. My son and his wife can't take another child right now. But we'd do just fine raising another boy. Why dare say you would, Mr. Oakley? But tell me, is Lester as handsome as his brother, as cheerful? Oh, Mr. Oakley, I'm one of those sentimental types who believes all little girls are as pretty as a picture and every little boy is as handsome as they come. Lester's no exception. He's got the sweetest laugh. He loves to play, and he gives the most wonderful hugs. Well, I guess that about settles it.
29:30 Lindsay Graham? If the good Lord's put this on our hearts, who are we to turn away? That's what I always say, Mr. Oakley. The Lord doesn't make mistakes, you know? If you feel this is right, maybe it's because it is right.
29:44 Lindsay Graham? Georgia hangs up the phone, a thrill running up her spine. She knows very little about Lester Humphrey, besides the fact that he's at least six years old and is still happily in the care of his mother. But if a respectable, financially stable family like the Oakleys is interested in taking him in, then Tan sees no reason why she can't make that happen. After all, she'd only be doing it for the good of the child.
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32:17 Lindsay Graham? Following her conversation with Rufus Oakley, Georgia Tan returns to the home of Iris Humphrey in Jasper County. This time, she abducts Humphrey's other son, six-year-old Lester. And once again, she takes the boy straight to her father, Judge Tan, who terminates parental custody. Within days, Tan has given Lester to the Oakleys. Iris Humphrey is left distraught. Two of her children have now been kidnapped and given to other families against her will. And when she finds out exactly what's happened, she fights back. Humphrey sues to regain custody, but she's a single mother with limited means. Compared to the upstanding Oakley family, she doesn't stand a chance. In the eyes of the courts, Robin and Lester are better off in their new homes, where they
33:02 Lindsay Graham? each have two parents and no shortage of money. Tan is delighted with the decision of the court. She's achieved her goal of giving the two boys a brighter future. But not everyone in Mississippi is as impressed with Tan's actions as she is. With the help from Iris Humphrey's relatives, word spread around Jasper County that Georgia Tan is a child abductor. Not wanting to wear out her welcome and eager to restart her career, Tan decides to leave Mississippi. She spends the next few years traveling around the South, teaching in brief stints. But she doesn't have the patience for bettering children's chances one lesson at a time. She prefers to change their entire lives instead.
33:43 Lindsay Graham? So when the opportunity comes to return to social work, Tan grabs it. In 1924, she accepts a position at the Tennessee Children's Home Society. She moves to Memphis in early summer and becomes head of the society's aid branch. The pay isn't much, at just $50 a month, it's well below the average income at the time. But Tan can live frugally if she needs to. What's more important is the work. Accompanying Tan on the move to Tennessee is her own growing family. By this stage, Tan has a young child of her own, a daughter June, who she adopted as an infant during her time in Texas. Then in early 1925, her partner Ann Atwood gives birth to a son.
34:25 Lindsay Graham? She tells friends and family the boy's father is an army captain, but he plays no role in the child's life, and it's Tan and Atwood who plan to raise him together. So with a family of four to support now, Tan knows that she has to make her new job work. She doesn't want to draw the wrong kind of attention like she did in Mississippi, so she'll have to take a more cautious approach. Her employer, the Tennessee Children's Home Society, or TCHS, is a statewide organization dedicated to finding homes for orphaned and abandoned children. When Tan begins working there, the society receives $25,000 in funding from the state. But with so many children in society's care, that money doesn't go far. That's where Tan comes in.
35:09 Lindsay Graham? It's her job to drum up donations to supplement government funding. But in a town like Memphis, where few residents have much wealth, that's easier said than done. Tan knows that if she's going to convince people to give her their money, she'll need to be smart and carefully adjust her pitch to every prospective donor. And on one day in the spring of 1925, Tan pays a visit to a small accountancy firm in the city's financial district.
35:37 Lindsay Graham? Tan walks in, and one of the firm's accountants looks up. Can I help you, ma'am? Well, I certainly hope so. My name is Georgia Tan, and I'm here today on behalf of the Tennessee Children's Home Society. We're working to find loving new homes... I know what you do, and I'm not interested in bringing any street urchins into my home. Oh, sir, that's not why I'm here. Tan takes a seat across from the man. I was here because I was hoping you could make a donation to our cause. Ah, but don't my tax dollars already fund your organization? Yes, that's true. And why should I fork over even more? Well, I can tell you that all donations we receive are put to good use: feeding and clothing the many unfortunate children in our care. Yeah, but for what? So they can grow up, have worthless kids of their own, start the cycle all over again?
36:22 Lindsay Graham? Tan leans forward. Ah, sir, I see that you and I think similarly. But what I've discovered is these children are not doomed. Whatever the circumstances that led them to needing new homes, when they're with us, they're free of that baggage. They're blank slates, lumps of clay ready to be molded into upstanding members of the community. Tan pauses briefly, studying the accountant's face, and she can tell this isn't working. So she shifts her approach. But I'll tell you, that's not why you should make a donation today. At the moment, the Tennessee Children's Home Society is stretched thin. Yes, we receive government funding, but we operate across multiple cities throughout the state. And with our limited resources, we're only able to arrange so many adoptions. Children we can't find homes for
37:06 Lindsay Graham? have to be sent to state-run institutions. And I'm sure a numbers man like you knows how expensive that can be. Rearing a child is a private affair, not a role for government. So you see, if you want your tax dollars put to better use, I think you'd do well to consider giving to the TCHS. Because the more children we help, the less it costs the taxpayer.
37:28 Lindsay Graham? The accountant shifts in his seat, looking Tan in the eyes. Then he leans back, tapping his pen on the desk. After a long, quiet moment, he opens his desk drawer and gets out his checkbook.
37:42 Lindsay Graham? After a few months in Memphis, Georgia Tan decides that she's ready to do more than just raise funds for the Tennessee Children's Home Society. The local branch is only a small and relatively new outfit, but Tan expects that demands on its resources are only going to grow. Whoever's in charge of the TCHS in Memphis could become very influential, and Tan intends that person to be her. But still, if she surrises from her position as fundraiser, she knows she'll need allies and benefactors. She remembers the way her father rubbed elbows with the right people on his path to becoming a judge back in Mississippi. And with that in mind, Tan befriends influential citizens from all walks of Memphis life.
38:24 Lindsay Graham? Her position at the TCHS brings her into the orbit of local judges, her work with children leads her to local women's clubs, and her fundraising efforts introduce her to some of the city's top business owners. Tan carefully cultivates connections with them all. But the people she takes the most interest in are those within the orbit of politician Edward Crump. Known by many simply as Boss, Edward Crump has effectively run Memphis for over a decade. A staunch Democrat, Crump once was mayor of the city, and even now, very little goes on in Memphis without his approval. Luckily for Tan, her father is an influential figure in the Democratic Party in Mississippi, so she has a connection she can exploit.
39:07 Lindsay Graham? She engineers an introduction to Crump and tells him about her work for the TCHS and her hopes for its future. But Crump can recognize Tan's type. She's ambitious and unscrupulous, and he's been in politics long enough to know how to exploit that. If he can help Tan to the top of TCHS, he'll gain another ally who's indebted to him, another ally with an interest in perpetuating his grip on the city. So with the help of Boss Crump and her other influential new friends, Tan starts taking control of the TCHS in Memphis. By the end of 1925, Tan is responsible for all of the society's adoptions in the city. And she wastes no time putting that new power to use.
39:52 Lindsay Graham? One day around this time, 23-year-old Mildred Stoves is working at her desk in the Memphis Department of Public Welfare when she hears a knock on her office door. She looks up to see the formidable figure of Georgia Tan in the doorway. Stove works in the same field as Tan, so she knows her by sight, but she's never seen her like this. Hanging from Tan's arm is a wicker basket decorated with bright ribbons and lace. Tan grins as she places the basket on Stoves' desk. Inside is a baby, no more than a few months old, wrapped in a pastel blanket and soundly asleep. Stove can't help but let out a quiet sigh. The baby is adorable, and that's when Tan tells Stoves that the infant is hers. Stoves is shocked.
40:37 Lindsay Graham? She's never asked for a baby, and as much as she likes children, she doesn't want a baby right now, so she declines this extraordinary offer as politely as she can. Tan's smile turns into a scowl, and she snatches the basket roughly off the desk. With barely another word, she turns and marches away. And in the quiet following Tan's departure, Stoves can't quite believe what just happened. Georgia Tan really intended to just "hand" her a baby with no checks on her background or living situation, not even knowing if Stoves wanted a child. Doesn't seem right. Stove wonders if this is the first time Tan has made such an offer like this, and it isn't.
41:19 Lindsay Graham? But Stoves is one of the few women who's turned down Tan's generosity. Tan has taken a leaf out of Boss Crump's book, identifying those with power and influence she can use, and she's making them indebted to her in the most personal way through their families. In the years to come, these allies will prove invaluable as Georgia Tan tightens her grip on the city of Memphis and its children. She may not have qualified as a lawyer, as she once hoped, or been elected a judge like her father, but Tan is on her way to becoming something even more powerful. Without any checks or accountability, she will reshape adoption in America. She'll transform the Tennessee Children's Home Society into her own personal kingdom, and she'll turn vulnerable children into products for sale.
42:08 Lindsay Graham? From Wondery, this is episode one of The Woman Who Sold Babies for American Scandal. In our next episode, Georgia Tann turns to the newspapers to promote adoption and find new ways to snatch children from families. American Scandal is only possible because of listeners like you, so thank you. And don't miss an episode. Be sure to follow American Scandal on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts. And Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. And to find out more about me, including my other podcasts, my live show, the history tours I'm arranging, and all sorts of other things, go to historyishuman.com.
42:53 Lindsay Graham? That's historyishuman.com. If you'd like to learn more about Georgia Tann and the Tennessee Children's Home Society, we recommend the book The Baby Thief by Barbara Bezance Raymond and Babies for Sale by Linda Tollitt Austin. This episode contains reenactments and dramatized details. And while in most cases we can't know exactly what was said, all our dramatizations are based on historical research. American Scandal is hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham for Airship. Audio editing by Christian Paraga. Sound design by Gabriel Gould. Supervising sound designer is Matthew Philler. Music by Thrum. This episode is written and researched by Joel Callen. Fact checking by Alyssa Jung Perry. Managing producer Emily Burke. Development
43:36 Lindsay Graham? by Stephanie Chaz. Senior producers are Andy Beckerman and Andy Herman. Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship and Jenny Lauer Beckman, Marshall Louis, and Erin O'Flaherty for Wondery.
43:55 Speaker 06 Journalist Tristan Redman goes where no son-in-law should ever go. Deep into his wife's family history, digging up the cold case of who murdered her great-grandmother. Because, I should mention, he thinks the murderer might actually be the beloved family patriarch. For the best bingeable series like Ghost Story, listen to the Audible True Crime Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
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