An anti-war activist caught in the chaos outside Chicago’s Democratic National Convention in 1968, Dr. Froines was thrust into a courtroom drama that captivated the nation.
John R. Froines, a quiet but politically stalwart chemist who stood trial alongside six other anti-war activists known collectively as the Chicago Seven died Wednesday in Santa Monica, California. He was 83.
After his acquittal for inciting a riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, he became a leading environmental toxicologist, shaping government standards on lead and diesel exhaust.