Letter from John T. Edsall, Fogarty International Center to Francis Crick

Letter from John T. Edsall, Fogarty International Center to Francis Crick

Contributor(s):
Fogarty International Center
The Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine. Francis Harry Compton Crick Papers
Crick, Francis, 1916-2004
Edsall, John T.
Publication:
Produced: 5 March 1971
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Continental Population Groups
Intelligence
Genre(s):
Archival Materials
Letters (correspondence)
Abstract:
In this letter Edsall detailed his position on the controversy within the National Academy of Sciences over statements by William Shockley, a Nobel Laureate in physics, that the lag in educational attainment among black Americans could be explained by inherited racial deficiencies in intelligence, as measured by IQ tests. Edsall and six other scientists had sent a letter to the president of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Philip Handler, on August 21, 1970, in which they set forth their "opinion that Dr. Shockley's proposals [that the Academy sponsor research into hereditary racial factors in intelligence] are based upon such simplistic notions of race, intelligence, and 'human quality' as to be unworthy of serious consideration by a body of scientists.". Among other clarifications, Edsall drew a distinction between Shockley's stance and that of the educational psychologist Arthur Jensen, who drew similar conclusions but whom Edsall considered "thoughtful, careful, and scholarly."
Copyright:
The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)
Extent:
4 pages
NLM Unique ID:
101584582X195 (See in Profiles in Science)
Profiles in Science ID:
SCBBNL
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101584582X195
Archival Collection:
The Francis Crick Papers (Profiles in Science)