Galton Laboratory

{{Infobox laboratory

|name=The Galton Laboratory

|established=1911–2013

|lab_type=British Eugenics Laboratory

|city=Bloomsbury, London

|research_field={{plainlist |

}}

|staff={{plainlist |

Ethel Elderton
Amy Barrington
David Heron
Julia Bell
Alice Lee
Adelaide Gladys Davin
Mary Noel Karn
Mary Hamilton Williams
Dr. Eleanor Pairman

}}

|directors={{plainlist |

Karl Pearson, 1911–1933
R. A. Fisher, 1934–1943
Lionel Penrose, 1945–1965

}}

|country=England

|campus=University College London

|affiliations=University College London

|image=Galton Laboratory 3.jpg|caption=Two unidentified women sat at a large table with computing machines in the Galton Laboratory.}}{{Eugenics sidebar|organizations}}

File:Galton Laboratory 1.jpg

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.{{Cite web |title=GALTON LABORATORY |url=https://archives.ucl.ac.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=GALTON+LABORATORY#:~:text=The%20Galton%20Laboratory,%20based%20at,in%20leadership%20and%20research%20emphasis. |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=archives.ucl.ac.uk}} The laboratory was originally established in 1904 and existed in name until 2020.{{Cite news |last=Media |first=P. A. |date=2020-06-19 |title=UCL renames three facilities that honoured prominent eugenicists |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jun/19/ucl-renames-three-facilities-that-honoured-prominent-eugenicists |access-date=2024-02-10 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

History

= The Eugenics Record Office =

The Eugenics Record Office, a precursor to the Galton Laboratory, was established in 1904 by Francis Galton.{{Cite web |last=Cain |first=Joe |date=2020-05-20 |title=Francis Galton's Eugenics Record Office on Gower Street (ERO-Galton) |url=https://profjoecain.net/francis-galton-eugenics-record-office-88-gower-street-london/ |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=Professor Joe Cain |language=en-GB}} 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). 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.{{cite journal|author=Magnello, M. E.|title=The Non-correlation of Biometrics and Eugenics: Rival Forms of Laboratory Work in Karl Pearson's Career at University College London, (In two Parts)|journal=History of Science|volume=37|pages=79–106; 125–150|year=1999|doi=10.1177/007327539903700103|s2cid=220679570}}

= 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.{{Cite web |title=Inquiry into the History of Eugenics at UCL – Final Report |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/provost/sites/provost/files/ucl_history_of_eugenics_inquiry_report.pdf}} 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.{{Cite web |title=GALTON LABORATORY |url=https://archives.ucl.ac.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=GALTON+LABORATORY |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=archives.ucl.ac.uk}}{{Cite book |last=Pearson |first=Karl |url=http://archive.org/details/galtonlab060 |title=Francis Galton, 1822–1922 : a centenary appreciation |date=1922 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |others=The UCL Institute of Education}}

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.{{Cite web |last=UCL |date=2020-06-19 |title=UCL denames buildings named after eugenicists |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2020/jun/ucl-denames-buildings-named-after-eugenicists |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=UCL News |language=en}} 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.

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{{cite web|url=https://archives.ucl.ac.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=GALTON+LABORATORY|title=Galton Laboratory Records|access-date=2022-07-29}} 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.{{Cite web |last=UCL |date=2020-12-02 |title=Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment Community |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/biosciences/research-department-genetics-evolution-and-environment-community |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=UCL Division of Biosciences |language=en}}

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.{{Cite web |last=UCL |date=2020-02-27 |title=About the Inquiry |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/provost/inquiry-history-eugenics-ucl/about-inquiry |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=President & Provost |language=en}} The Inquiry was chaired by Professor Iyiola Solanke, of the University of Leeds and included sixteen members.{{Cite web |last=UCL |date=2020-02-28 |title=UCL announces action to acknowledge and address historical links with eugenics |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2020/feb/ucl-announces-action-acknowledge-and-address-historical-links-eugenics |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=UCL News |language=en}} The original inquiry set out six terms of reference.{{Cite web |last=UCL |date=2020-02-27 |title=About the Inquiry |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/provost/inquiry-history-eugenics-ucl/about-inquiry |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=President & Provost |language=en}}

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.{{Cite web |last=UCL |date=2021-01-07 |title=UCL makes formal public apology for its history and legacy of eugenics |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2021/jan/ucl-makes-formal-public-apology-its-history-and-legacy-eugenics |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=UCL News |language=en}} 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.{{Cite web |last=UCL |date=2020-06-19 |title=UCL to dename spaces named after prominent eugenicists |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2020/jun/ucl-dename-spaces-named-after-prominent-eugenicists |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=UCL News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=UCL |date=2021-01-07 |title=UCL makes formal public apology for its history and legacy of eugenics |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2021/jan/ucl-makes-formal-public-apology-its-history-and-legacy-eugenics |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=UCL News |language=en}} Nine of the inquiry's original sixteen members did not agree to sign this report.{{Cite web |last=McIntyre |first=Fiona |date=2020-03-03 |title=UCL eugenics inquiry split leads to rival reports |url=https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-he-agencies-other-2020-3-ucl-eugenics-inquiry-split-leads-to-rival-reports/ |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=Research Professional News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite news |last=Fazackerley |first=Anna |date=2020-02-28 |title=UCL eugenics inquiry did not go far enough, committee say |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/feb/28/ucl-eugenics-inquiry-did-not-go-far-enough-committee-say |access-date=2024-03-03 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |title=Our analysis of the Eugenics Inquiry report {{!}} Students Union UCL |url=https://studentsunionucl.org/articles/our-analysis-of-eugenics-inquiry-report |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=studentsunionucl.org}}

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.{{Cite web |last=UCL |date=2020-02-27 |title=Reports and recommendations |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/provost/inquiry-history-eugenics-ucl/reports-and-recommendations |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=President & Provost |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=February 2020 |title=Investigation into the History of Eugenics at UCL |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/provost/sites/provost/files/recommendations-ucl-eugenics-inquiry-more-group-university-college-london-february-2020.pdf}}

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.{{Cite web |date=April 2021 |title=UCL Eugenics Inquiry Response Group Report April 2021 |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/provost/sites/provost/files/eugenics-response-group-final-report-april-2021.pdf}} 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.

File:Treasury of human inheritance (1909) (14596637458).jpg

Eugenics Laboratory Lecture Series [https://archive.org/details/uclmoderngeneticscollections?tab=collection&query=lecture+series], a series of lectures meant for general audiences to further engage understandings of eugenics outside of academic spaces.{{Cite web |title=Internet Archive: Modern Genetics Collections (Eugenics Laboratory Lecture Series) |url=https://archive.org/details/uclmoderngeneticscollections?tab=collection&query=lecture+series |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=archive.org}}
Eugenics Laboratory Memoirs [https://archive.org/details/uclmoderngeneticscollections?tab=collection&query=eugenics+laboratory+memoirs], a series of memoirs from authors including Ethel Elderton, Karl Pearson, David Heron, Amy Barrington.{{Cite web |title=Internet Archive: Modern Genetics Collection (Eugenics laboratory memoirs) |url=https://archive.org/details/uclmoderngeneticscollections?tab=collection&query=eugenics+laboratory+memoirs |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=archive.org}}
Questions of the Day and of the Fray [https://archive.org/details/uclmoderngeneticscollections?tab=collection&query=Questions+of+the+Day+and+of+the+Fray], a eugenics memoir series written from 1910 to 1923.{{Cite web |title=Internet Archive: Modern Genetics Collections (Questions of the Day and of the Fray |url=https://archive.org/details/uclmoderngeneticscollections?tab=collection&query=Questions+of+the+Day+and+of+the+Fray |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=archive.org}}
Annals of Eugenics, created by Karl Pearson in 1925, which continues as the Annals of Human Genetics.
[https://archive.org/details/uclmoderngeneticscollections?query=studies+in+national+deterioration&tab=collection Studies in National Deterioration], a series of studies published between 1906 and 1924.{{Cite web |title=Internet Archive: Modern Genetics Collections (Studies in National Deterioration) |url=https://archive.org/details/uclmoderngeneticscollections?query=studies+in+national+deterioration&tab=collection |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=archive.org}}

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.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JQGAAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA253|page=253|title=Eugenics, Human Genetics and Human Failings|author=Pauline Mazumdar|publisher=Routledge|date=20 December 2005|isbn=9781134950225}}

Karl Pearson 1911–1933
Ronald Fisher 1933–1943
Lionel Penrose 1945–1965{{cite web|url=https://wellcomelibrary.org/item/b20218709#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0&z=-0.5821%2C-0.068%2C2.1643%2C1.3595|title=Wellcome Collection materials relating to Penrose's Appointment as Galton Professor of Eugenics at University College London (UCL)|access-date=December 6, 2021|website=Wellcome Collection}}
Harry Harris 1965–1976
Bette Robson 1976–1994[https://www.ucl.ac.uk/biosciences/biosciences-news-publication/2016-2017/Obituary-E-B-Robson Obituary]{{Dead link|date=December 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Nicholas Wood 2009–2020{{cite web | url=https://archives.ucl.ac.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=GALTON+LABORATORY | title=Search Results }}

File:Galton Laboratory 2.jpg

Workers

Ethel Elderton: research assistant, secretary, and eventual Galton Research Scholar.{{Cite book |last=Pearson |first=Karl |url=http://archive.org/details/galtonlab004 |title=The groundwork of eugenics |date=1909 |publisher=Dulau and Co |others=The UCL Institute of Education}}
Amy Barrington: computer of the Galton Laboratory.
David Heron: Galton Research Fellow.{{Cite book |last=Pearson |first=Karl |url=http://archive.org/details/galtonlab002 |title=The scope and importance to the state of the science of national eugenics |date=1909 |publisher=Dulau and Co |others=The UCL Institute of Education}}
Julia Bell: assistant, researcher.{{Cite book |last1=Pearson |first1=Karl |url=http://archive.org/details/galtonlab030 |title=A study of the long bones of the English skeleton. Part I |last2=Bell |first2=Julia |date=1917 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |others=The UCL Institute of Education}}{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=Mary Hamilton |url=http://archive.org/details/galtonlab077 |title=A Statistical Study of Oral Temperatures in School Children with Special Reference to Parental, Environmental, and Class Differences |last2=Bell |first2=Julia |author-link2=Julia Bell |last3=Pearson |first3=Karl |author-link3=Karl Pearson |date=1914 |publisher=Dulau and Co |others=The UCL Institute of Education}}
Alice Lee: assistant, researcher
Adelaide Gladys Davin
Mary Noel Karn{{Cite book |last=Karn |first=Mary Noel |url=http://archive.org/details/galtonlab078 |title=Study of the Data Provided by a Baby-Clinic in a Large Manufacturing Town |last2=Pearson |first2=Karl |date=1922 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |others=The UCL Institute of Education}}{{Cite book |last=Stocks |first=Percy |url=http://archive.org/details/galtonlab079 |title=Blood Pressure in Early Life. A Statistical Study |date=1924 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |others=The UCL Institute of Education}}
Mary Hamilton Williams
Dr. Eleanor Pairman

Notes

{{note|a}}Possibly succeeding Grüneberg.

References

External links

https://web.archive.org/web/20040509104147/http://www.gene.ucl.ac.uk/
[https://archives.ucl.ac.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=GALTON+LABORATORY Archives of the Galton Laboratory, UCL Library Special Collections]
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2014/jul/galton-archive-now-online
https://archive.org/details/uclmoderngeneticscollections
{{cite journal |last1=Aubert-Marson |first1=Dominique |title=Sir Francis Galton : le fondateur de l'eugénisme |trans-title=Sir Francis Galton: the father of eugenics |language=fr |journal=Médecine/Sciences |date=June 2009 |volume=25 |issue=6–7 |pages=641–645 |doi=10.1051/medsci/2009256-7641 |pmid=19602363 }}
{{cite journal |last1=Penrose |first1=L. S. |title=The Galton laboratory: its work and aims |journal=The Eugenics Review |date=April 1949 |volume=41 |issue=1 |pages=17–27 |pmid=18120759 |pmc=2972887 }}
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/provost/inquiry-history-eugenics-ucl/about-inquiry
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2020/feb/ucl-announces-action-acknowledge-and-address-historical-links-eugenics
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-minds/podcasts/living-eugenics
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/provost/sites/provost/files/ucl_history_of_eugenics_inquiry_report.pdf
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/provost/sites/provost/files/recommendations-ucl-eugenics-inquiry-more-group-university-college-london-february-2020.pdf
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/provost/sites/provost/files/eugenics-response-group-final-report-april-2021.pdf
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/teaching-learning/professional-development/eugenics-legacy-education-project-elep-0
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2014/jul/galton-archive-now-online