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Galton Laboratory

The Galton Laboratory
Two unidentified women sat at a large table with computing machines in the Galton Laboratory.
Established1911–2013
Laboratory type
British Eugenics Laboratory
Field of research
Directors
Staff
LocationBloomsbury, London, England
CampusUniversity College London
AffiliationsUniversity College London
This article is part of a series on the
Eugenics Movement
Historical trajectory
Pre-war academic proponents
Post-war academic remnants
Pamphlets and manifestos
Organizations
Without significant post-war activity

With significant post-war activity

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Unidentified woman sat at desk with computing machine. A framed pencil sketch of Francis Galton hangs on the wall above the desk.

The Galton Laboratory of National Eugenics was a laboratory established for the research of eugenics, later to the study of biometry and statistics, and eventually human genetics based at University College London (UCL) in London, England.[1] The laboratory was originally established in 1904 and existed in name until 2020.[2]

History

The Eugenics Record Office

The Eugenics Record Office, a precursor to the Galton Laboratory, was established in 1904 by Francis Galton.[3] In 1906 Karl Pearson took directorship of The Eugenics Record Office, eventually dissolving it. During its operation, The Eugenics Record Office employed three staffers: Dr. Edgar Schuster (Galton Research Fellow, 1905–1906), David Heron (Galton Research Fellow, 1906), and Ethel Elderton (Research Assistant and Secretary, 1905–1907).[3] In 1907 the Office was reconstituted as the Galton Eugenics Laboratory as part of UCL, still under the direction of Karl Pearson a professor of Applied mathematics.[4]

The Department of Applied Statistics and Eugenics

The Galton Laboratory was financed by Francis Galton. On his death in 1911, Francis Galton left his estate to the University of London to fund a permanent Chair of Eugenics filled by Karl Pearson.[5] Pearson created the Department of Applied Statistics which combined the Biometric Laboratory and the Francis Galton Laboratory for National Eugenics, in 1913 this department was renamed the Department of Applied Statistics and Eugenics.[6][7]

The department's increase in size prompted UCL to acquire or construct a new space. In 1912 Sir Herbert Bartlett offered space in the North-West front of UCL's Wilkins building.[6][8] The outbreak of the First World War interrupted work and the new space was not used by the department until October 1919, with an official opening in June 1920.[6]

Pearson was succeeded as Galton Professor by R. A. Fisher in 1934. When Fisher moved to Cambridge in 1944 the laboratory was incorporated in an enlarged Department of Eugenics, Biometry and Genetics[9] headed by J. B. S. Haldane, the Wheldon Professor of Biometry. This reversed a previous split in 1933 following Karl Pearson's retirement.

The Department of Human Genetics and Biometry

The Galton Laboratory underwent many changes during the post-war period. Most notably this period saw another renaming of the department following negative associations of eugenics after World War II. This renaming was by Harry Harris in 1966, where it then became the Department of Human Genetics and Biometry.

The Department of Human Genetics and Biometry, including the Galton Laboratory, became part of the Department of Biology in UCL in 1996. MRC Human Biochemical Genetics Unit was established by Harris in 1962. He was Honorary Director until he went to Philadelphia in 1976, and the unit continued under the direction of David Hopkinson until its closure in October 2000. Sam Berry also held a Professorship in Genetics from 1972.

In 1967 the laboratory moved into a dedicated new building Wolfson House along with a further two Medical Research Council units: the Human Biochemical Genetics Unit, headed by Harris, and the MRC Experimental Genetics Unit, headed by Hans Grüneberg. Subsequently, on Grüneberg's retirement, the space occupied by his unit was reallocated to the newly created MRC Mammalian Development Unit, led by Anne McLaren, and the MRC Blood Group Unit, headed by Ruth Sanger, and subsequently Patricia Tippett.

In 2013 the Galton Laboratory was incorporated into UCL's then new Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment.[10]

The Galton Laboratory and its Legacy at UCL

In 2018, then President and Provost of UCL, Professor Michael Arthur established a formal inquiry into the history of eugenics at UCL.[11] The Inquiry was chaired by Professor Iyiola Solanke, of the University of Leeds and included sixteen members.[12] The original inquiry set out six terms of reference.[13]

In June 2020, UCL issued a formal apology for its history and legacy of eugenics. This followed a report and comprehensive set of recommendations given to UCL in February 2020 from its official Inquiry into the History of Eugenics.[14] Additionally, UCL announced that the institution would be denaming spaces and buildings named after Francis Galton and Karl Pearson. The spaces included the former Galton Lecture Theatre, the Pearson Lecture Theatre, and the Pearson Building.[15][16][2] Nine of the inquiry's original sixteen members did not agree to sign this report.[17][18][19]

The MORE Group recommendations was an additional report compiled by nine of the inquiry's members who did not agree to sign off on the Feb 2020 report. Reasons cited by members of the MORE Group for their refusal to sign the Feb 2020 report included a need for more time to develop the narrative of the report, a deeper understanding of UCL's eugenics history and a broader set of terms that gave equal weight and understanding to all targets of eugenics.[20][21]

The inquiry group published one additional group report in April 2021 co-chaired by Professor Hazel Genn and Dr. Kamna Patel. This report synthesised the original February 2020 report with the further recommendations of the MORE Group.[22] The most recent report was released in November 2021 focused on further research undertaken by the inquiry.

Publications

The Galton Laboratory published many pieces including memoir series, lectures series, addresses, biometric series, and technical series.

An example of an inheritance chart, found in many publications of the Galton Laboratory.

Galton Professors of Eugenics/Genetics

Originally established as the Galton Chair in National Eugenics, the post was renamed under Penrose to be the Galton Professor of Human Genetics.[27]

Two unidentified women in the laboratory. One is seated and appears to be measuring a human skull, the other is standing next to a bench.

Workers

See also

Notes

^ Possibly succeeding Grüneberg.

References

  1. ^ "GALTON LABORATORY". archives.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b Media, P. A. (19 June 2020). "UCL renames three facilities that honoured prominent eugenicists". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b Cain, Joe (20 May 2020). "Francis Galton's Eugenics Record Office on Gower Street (ERO-Galton)". Professor Joe Cain. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  4. ^ Magnello, M. E. (1999). "The Non-correlation of Biometrics and Eugenics: Rival Forms of Laboratory Work in Karl Pearson's Career at University College London, (In two Parts)". History of Science. 37: 79–106, 125–150. doi:10.1177/007327539903700103. S2CID 220679570.
  5. ^ "Inquiry into the History of Eugenics at UCL – Final Report" (PDF).
  6. ^ a b c "GALTON LABORATORY". archives.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  7. ^ Pearson, Karl (1922). Francis Galton, 1822–1922 : a centenary appreciation. The UCL Institute of Education. Cambridge University Press.
  8. ^ UCL (19 June 2020). "UCL denames buildings named after eugenicists". UCL News. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  9. ^ "Galton Laboratory Records". Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  10. ^ UCL (2 December 2020). "Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment Community". UCL Division of Biosciences. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  11. ^ UCL (27 February 2020). "About the Inquiry". President & Provost. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  12. ^ UCL (28 February 2020). "UCL announces action to acknowledge and address historical links with eugenics". UCL News. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  13. ^ UCL (27 February 2020). "About the Inquiry". President & Provost. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  14. ^ UCL (7 January 2021). "UCL makes formal public apology for its history and legacy of eugenics". UCL News. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  15. ^ UCL (19 June 2020). "UCL to dename spaces named after prominent eugenicists". UCL News. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  16. ^ UCL (7 January 2021). "UCL makes formal public apology for its history and legacy of eugenics". UCL News. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  17. ^ McIntyre, Fiona (3 March 2020). "UCL eugenics inquiry split leads to rival reports". Research Professional News. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  18. ^ Fazackerley, Anna (28 February 2020). "UCL eugenics inquiry did not go far enough, committee say". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  19. ^ "Our analysis of the Eugenics Inquiry report | Students Union UCL". studentsunionucl.org. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  20. ^ UCL (27 February 2020). "Reports and recommendations". President & Provost. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  21. ^ "Investigation into the History of Eugenics at UCL" (PDF). February 2020.
  22. ^ "UCL Eugenics Inquiry Response Group Report April 2021" (PDF). April 2021.
  23. ^ "Internet Archive: Modern Genetics Collections (Eugenics Laboratory Lecture Series)". archive.org. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  24. ^ "Internet Archive: Modern Genetics Collection (Eugenics laboratory memoirs)". archive.org. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  25. ^ "Internet Archive: Modern Genetics Collections (Questions of the Day and of the Fray". archive.org. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  26. ^ "Internet Archive: Modern Genetics Collections (Studies in National Deterioration)". archive.org. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  27. ^ Pauline Mazumdar (20 December 2005). Eugenics, Human Genetics and Human Failings. Routledge. p. 253. ISBN 9781134950225.
  28. ^ "Wellcome Collection materials relating to Penrose's Appointment as Galton Professor of Eugenics at University College London (UCL)". Wellcome Collection. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  29. ^ Obituary[permanent dead link‍]
  30. ^ "Search Results".
  31. ^ a b Pearson, Karl (1909). The groundwork of eugenics. The UCL Institute of Education. Dulau and Co.
  32. ^ Pearson, Karl (1909). The scope and importance to the state of the science of national eugenics. The UCL Institute of Education. Dulau and Co.
  33. ^ Pearson, Karl; Bell, Julia (1917). A study of the long bones of the English skeleton. Part I. The UCL Institute of Education. Cambridge University Press.
  34. ^ a b Williams, Mary Hamilton; Bell, Julia; Pearson, Karl (1914). A Statistical Study of Oral Temperatures in School Children with Special Reference to Parental, Environmental, and Class Differences. The UCL Institute of Education. Dulau and Co.
  35. ^ Karn, Mary Noel; Pearson, Karl (1922). Study of the Data Provided by a Baby-Clinic in a Large Manufacturing Town. The UCL Institute of Education. Cambridge University Press.
  36. ^ Stocks, Percy (1924). Blood Pressure in Early Life. A Statistical Study. The UCL Institute of Education. Cambridge University Press.

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