He was the “pool doctor” at the Madison Square Boys Club, volunteering to give physical exams to poor kids in the Lower East Side youth program. He often stood on the deck, watching them swim and frolic naked.
From 1942 through the ’60s, the late Dr. Reginald Archibald was “a fixture” at the club, which thrived on donations from New York City titans like the Astor family and on the patronage of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.
But the 135-year-old institution, which today serves boys and girls in The Bronx and Brooklyn and has a new clubhouse in Harlem under construction, is facing a crisis, The Post has learned.
Now senior citizens, many boys examined by Archibald have come forward to accuse him of sexually molesting and photographing them in his private office near the indoor swimming pool.
Archibald allegedly used the club to recruit boys for growth research at Rockefeller University. Lawyers contend he may have molested and taken nude photos of more than 1,000 children.
“We think he’s the most prolific pedophile in US history,” said Jennifer Freeman of Marsh Law Firm, which represents 150 accusers.