Dr. James Hiram Bedford was a talented man—he was a professor at the University of California and a World War I veteran who lived a full life and traveled the world. However, he is most famous for being the first person to have his body frozen through cryonic preservation, a process that keeps the body (or brain) at very low temperatures after death.
In 1967, Bedford, who was quite wealthy, was diagnosed with kidney cancer that had spread to his lungs. At that time, medical treatments were not as advanced as they are today.
When Bedford was diagnosed, he already knew about cryonic preservation.
He had read about it in the book The Prospect of Immortality by Dr. Robert Ettinger.
Dr. Ettinger, the founder of the Cryonics Institute, is known as the pioneer of body freezing experiments. His institute offers freezing services after death, hoping that one day, future medical technology will be able to cure the disease that caused the person’s death and bring them back to life.
After learning about cryonic preservation, Bedford requested that his body be frozen after he died.
On the afternoon of January 12, 1967, doctors replaced his blood with dimethyl sulfoxide, a chemical meant to protect his organs.
Then, they placed his body in a tank of liquid nitrogen at -196°C.
Twenty-four years later, Alcor, a company that specializes in cryonic preservation, examined his body to see how well it had been preserved.
They found that his body was still in good condition. His nose and mouth had a blood-like smell, and his face appeared younger than his 73 years. However, his chest and neck had some discoloration, and his eyes had turned a chalky white, like ice.
After that, technicians wrapped Bedford in a fresh sleeping bag and placed him back in liquid nitrogen to remain frozen.
Now, more than 50 years after he was supposed to be revived, Bedford is still frozen, like a “mummy.”
Robert Nelson, one of the three scientists who carried out the preservation, said Bedford’s last words were: “I want you to understand that I did not do this thinking I would be revived. I did this in the hope that one day my descendants will benefit from this amazing scientific discovery.”