William C. Rader is perhaps best known as the first husband of actress Sally Struthers, but his story extends far beyond that Hollywood connection. Dr. William C. Rader began his career as a respected psychiatrist who worked with the Navy’s alcoholism treatment program and later established various medical programs. However, his professional trajectory took a controversial turn when he shifted focus to experimental stem cell treatments in the 1990s. His medical license was ultimately revoked in 2014 due to negligence and professional misconduct. This article explores the sally struthers and william c rader marriage, his career evolution from psychiatry to stem cell research, the controversies surrounding his practice, and addresses questions about william c rader still alive status and william c rader net worth.
Who Is Dr. William C. Rader? Background and Early Career
Educational Background and Medical Training
Dr. William C. Rader built his academic foundation at Lafayette College, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration in 1959. His path into medicine came later when he earned his M.D. from the State University of New York in 1967. Following medical school, Rader completed his psychiatric fellowship at the University of Southern California Medical Center, establishing the credentials that would define his early professional reputation.
Early Work in Psychiatry
Rader entered the field of psychiatry through military service, working as a psychiatrist for the Navy’s alcoholism treatment program from 1971 to 1973. Previously, he had married and fathered three children before his later union with actress Sally Struthers. Throughout his psychiatric career, dr william c rader established multiple treatment initiatives that addressed various medical and social issues. His programs spanned alcoholism treatment, eating disorder care, a rape survivor program, and an HIV program. These diverse clinical efforts demonstrated his willingness to tackle challenging areas of mental health and addiction treatment.
Media Presence as KABC Medical Expert
Rader’s career took a public turn when he became a medical expert for KABC Eyewitness News in Los Angeles, a position he held from 1977 to 1991. His on-air presence caught significant attention. Newsweek described him as “a highly telegenic Beverly Hills psychiatrist” and called his five-part debut series on KABC about compulsive overeating “riveting”. This media role elevated his profile beyond traditional psychiatric practice, making william c rader a recognizable figure in the Los Angeles medical community. His ability to communicate complex medical topics to television audiences set him apart from many of his peers in psychiatry.
Published Work on Eating Disorders
Rader channeled his expertise into written work with the 1981 publication of a book titled “No Diet Program For Permanent Weight Loss”. This publication aligned with his growing focus on weight management and eating behaviors. Shortly after, in 1984, he formalized this specialization by starting The Rader Institute specifically to treat eating disorders. The institute represented a dedicated facility where patients could receive focused treatment for conditions like bulimia and anorexia, building on the public awareness he had generated through his television appearances and published work.
Sally Struthers and William C. Rader Marriage: How They Met and Life Together
How Carroll O’Connor Introduced Them
The sally struthers and william c rader marriage began through an unexpected matchmaker. Carroll O’Connor, Struthers’ co-star on All in the Family, introduced the actress to the psychiatrist. Rader’s pursuit proved persistent. He contacted Struthers’ assistant to arrange a date but learned she was seeing someone else. Undeterred, he responded with confidence: “Well, put me on her list. And if she doesn’t have a list, start one”. His approach left an impression on the actress.
Struthers eventually reached out to dr william c rader when she needed an escort to a black-tie dinner. That first evening together sparked immediate chemistry. According to Struthers, “By the end of our first date, I was madly in love”. The relationship progressed rapidly, with Struthers becoming the first to suggest marriage.
Their Wedding and Marriage Life
The couple wed on December 18, 1977, in Los Angeles, coinciding with the height of Struthers’ fame from All in the Family. Four years into their union, Struthers characterized their relationship positively in interviews. She described it as a “good marriage,” noting that Rader felt secure enough not to be threatened by her substantial paychecks. The psychiatrist himself acknowledged their relationship was filled with fun, though he admitted they were much alike and consequently had their share of conflicts.
Daughter Samantha and Blended Family
Samantha arrived in May 1979, representing a significant shift in Struthers’ perspective on motherhood. Before meeting Rader, she adamantly opposed having children, frequently stating she didn’t need “a carbon copy” of herself. Her feelings changed dramatically. “Then you fall in love with someone, and you want to be the mother of a child that is part of that man, the result of your loving each other,” she explained.
Rader brought three children from his previous marriage: Jonathan, Nancy, and Deborah. Struthers initially worried about how her stepchildren would receive their new half-sister, but they embraced Samantha.
The 1983 Divorce
The marriage ended on January 19, 1983, after less than six years together. The divorce concluded during a period of intense career transition for Struthers, who was moving from her breakout television role into voice acting and stage work. Following the split, Struthers never remarried, focusing instead on her daughter, career, and advocacy work.
From Psychiatry to Stem Cell Research: Career Evolution
Establishing Treatment Programs for Alcoholism and Eating Disorders
Following his Navy service, Rader entered private practice in 1974 and developed treatment initiatives targeting alcoholism, rape survivor support, hemodialysis patients, and early HIV/AIDS care in Mexico. His eating disorder programs integrated psychotherapy to address emotional triggers with nutritional protocols to restore physical health. The approach emphasized behavioral modification and gradual habit formation rather than restrictive dieting. By the mid-1980s, the Rader Institute operated multiple facilities, including locations in Tulsa, Oklahoma, gaining visibility through his national television appearances.
First Exposure to Stem Cell Therapy in Ukraine
Rader first observed human injection of fetal stem cells in the mid-1990s at a Ukrainian clinic. A business contact told him about a company in Ukraine injecting patients with solutions made from aborted fetuses. This exposure, prompted by Eastern European doctors, revealed what he described as promising recoveries in patients with conditions unresponsive to conventional medicine. In 1995, he began referring his own U.S. patients to Ukraine for fetal stem cell treatment, positioning himself as the first U.S. physician to pursue clinical application of this therapy.
Opening Offshore Stem Cell Clinics
Rader’s first independent stem cell clinic was established in the Bahamas. He soon began meeting patients in Nassau for injections. The Bahamian government asked Rader to leave in 2000 following a critical television report aired in the United States. The clinic reopened in the Dominican Republic around 2007, operating briefly at multiple sites before further shifts. He eventually established a dedicated facility in Tijuana, Mexico in 2007. One Saturday each month, the company rented space in Tijuana at an alternative medicine clinic called Oxygen.
Stem Cell of America and Patient Treatments
Rader operated multiple stem cell marketing entities over the years including The Dulcinea Institute, Medra, Inc., and Stem Cell of America, Inc.. His company, Stem Cell of America, operated out of an office in Westlake, selling injections for arthritis, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injuries and other conditions. Patients paid fees of approximately USD 30,000 for initial treatment, with travel costs additional. The stem cell patients paid for treatment in advance or brought certified checks, which were deposited in a U.S. bank account. Rader claimed to have treated as many as 1,500-2,000 people. In 2008, Rader claimed in a telephone interview that his stem cell product was obtained from a laboratory in the Republic of Georgia. The injections were made from aborted fetuses in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, according to Rader. Patients usually stayed at a hotel in San Diego and arrived at the clinic by van. A Mexican anesthesiologist served as the company’s medical director and oversaw the injections. Rader has never published studies or results of his treatments in medical journals.
Controversies, Medical License Revocation, and Current Status
Criticism from the Medical Community
Rader’s stem cell operations attracted severe criticism from medical researchers. In 2009, the journal Science called him “particularly notorious” among unregulated offshore stem cell providers for his “extraordinary claims” and “refus[al] to share information on cell lines and techniques”. Dr. Evan Snyder, head of the stem cell program at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla, described Rader as being “like whack-a-mole” due to his ability to continue operating despite regulatory actions. Rader has never allowed outsiders to examine his injections and has never published scientific evidence on their efficacy.
The 2014 Medical Board of California Decision
On November 5, 2014, the Medical Board of California revoked Rader’s medical license, citing negligence, professional misconduct, and false or misleading advertising. The board’s 39-page decision concluded: “His dishonesty permeates every aspect of his business and practices”. Attorney Robert Shapiro defended Rader before the Board, arguing that foreign doctors oversaw the injections, but the board disagreed.
The case involved specific patient complaints. One man was paralyzed in a motorcycle crash, another suffered severe spinal cord damage from a staph infection. Neither experienced improvement after treatment. A third patient’s family drove an elderly man with a brain injury across the country after Rader convinced them the treatment could help. By the time they arrived in San Diego, the man had entered a chronic vegetative state, and the family drove him back to Alabama, where he died the following month.
William C. Rader Still Alive: Current Activities
Following license revocation, william c rader still alive and continues operating his business. No longer permitted to advertise himself as Stem Cell of America’s “medical director”, Rader began calling himself “chief scientist” acting as the “PR person representing the company”. He continued marketing stem cell injections administered one day a month under the supervision of a local anesthesiologist in Tijuana, Mexico.
When asked by the Los Angeles Times in May 2015 for the name of the Mexican anesthesiologist currently serving as his company’s medical director, Rader said he could not recall his full name. Prospective patients must sign a form pledging not to discuss their treatments online or with the media. Mexican regulators stated that operating without government permission is illegal, and “it’s illegal to sell something that’s experimental”.
William C. Rader Net Worth and Business Operations
Rader has stated that he charges USD 30,000.00 for an initial treatment with significant discounts for follow-up injections[152]. Given the large sums of money involved, if he treated even 500 people, that would have potentially generated USD 15 million in income. The board’s action has had little effect on his business, according to Rader himself: “Very few people don’t come because of that”. His sales representatives explain to prospective patients that he lost his license for standing up to the medical establishment. His California company continues to operate from an office in Westlake, advertising and arranging injections administered abroad, outside the reach of U.S. authorities.
Conclusion
William C. Rader’s journey illustrates a dramatic shift from respected psychiatrist and media personality to controversial stem cell provider. His marriage to Sally Struthers lasted only six years, yet his medical career spans decades. Despite license revocation in 2014 for negligence and misconduct, Rader continues operations through offshore clinics. His story serves as a cautionary tale about unregulated medical practices and the challenges regulatory bodies face when practitioners operate beyond their jurisdiction.
Also Read: Pollyanna Rose
FAQs
Q1. Who was Sally Struthers married to in real life?Â
Sally Struthers was married to Dr. William C. Rader, a psychiatrist. They were introduced by her “All in the Family” co-star Carroll O’Connor and married on December 18, 1977, in Los Angeles. The marriage lasted until January 19, 1983, and they had one daughter together named Samantha, born in May 1979.
Q2. What happened to Dr. William C. Rader’s medical license?Â
Dr. William C. Rader’s medical license was revoked by the Medical Board of California on November 5, 2014. The revocation was due to negligence, professional misconduct, and false or misleading advertising related to his stem cell treatment operations. The board’s decision cited dishonesty permeating every aspect of his business practices.
Q3. What kind of doctor was William C. Rader before his stem cell work?Â
William C. Rader was a psychiatrist who worked with the Navy’s alcoholism treatment program from 1971 to 1973. He later established treatment programs for eating disorders, alcoholism, rape survivors, and HIV patients. He also served as a medical expert for KABC Eyewitness News in Los Angeles from 1977 to 1991 and founded The Rader Institute in 1984 to treat eating disorders.
Q4. Is William C. Rader still practicing medicine?Â
While Dr. Rader’s California medical license was revoked in 2014, he continues to operate his stem cell business. He now calls himself “chief scientist” rather than medical director and arranges stem cell injections administered by a Mexican anesthesiologist in Tijuana, Mexico. His California-based company continues to market these treatments from an office in Westlake.
Q5. How much does William C. Rader charge for stem cell treatments?Â
Dr. Rader charges approximately $30,000 for an initial stem cell treatment, with significant discounts offered for follow-up injections. Patients must pay in advance or bring certified checks, and travel costs to the treatment location are additional. He has claimed to have treated between 1,500 and 2,000 people over the years.