OVER AND OUT: James Watson resigns amid controversy.
Image: AP PHOTO/ECKEHARD SCHULZ
World-renowned geneticist James Watson today resigned as a top officer of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), in Long Island, N.Y., culminating a rapid fall from grace triggered last week by racially charged statements he made during a newspaper interview.
"This morning I have conveyed to the trustees of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory my desire to retire immediately from my position as its chancellor, as well as from my position on its board, on which I have served for the past 43 years," Watson said in a statement in which he heaped praise on the research facility to which he brought both fame and infamy. "Closer now to 80 than 79, the passing on of my remaining vestiges of leadership is more than overdue. The circumstances in which this transfer is occurring, however, are not those which I could ever have anticipated or desired."
The departure comes in the wake of a scandal that erupted over comments Watson made during an interview published in The Sunday Times of London in which he claimed that blacks are not as smart as whites. The science community swiftly took him to task for the baseless comments. In Europe last week to publicize a new book Avoid Boring People: Lessons from a Life in Science, the scientist apologized (expressing surprise that he could have said such things) and cut short his speaking tour, returning home to the U.S. amid a swirl of controversy.
But the damage was already done: CSHL immediately distanced itself from Watson, issuing a statement stressing that his views were his own and not those of the institution where he had served for decades (including as its director from 1968 to 1994 and then as president until 2003)—and then suspending his administrative duties pending an investigation.
There was no mention of the controversy, however, in a release issued today by the CSHL—a leading cancer research facility—announcing the move. Rather, the lab chose to highlight the many pluses in Watson?s career, which include sharing the coveted Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1962 for describing the structure of the genetic material DNA and leading efforts to sequence the human genome.
"For over 40 years, Dr. Watson has made immeasurable contributions to the laboratory's research and education programs," said Eduardo Mestre, chair of CSHL's board. "His legacy as…Nobel Prize laureate…will continue to influence biomedical research for decades to come. The board respects his decision to retire at this point in his career."
Bruce Stillman, CSHL's president added: "Jim Watson created an environment that is unparalleled in the world of science."
Still, this was not the first time that the colorful and, oft-times off-color geneticist found himself in hot water. In a 1990 profile Science wrote: "To many in the scientific community, Watson has long been something of a wild man, and his colleagues tend to hold their collective breath whenever he veers from the script." Among the notable veering: arguing that a woman should have a right to abort an unborn child if tests could determine it would be gay as well as touting genetic screening and engineering as a potential cure for "stupidity." He did not win many admirers, either, with statements such as: "People say it would be terrible if we made all girls pretty. I think it would be great."
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4 Comments
Add CommentPolitical correctness will never stop truth and a lack of respect for truth no matter what social stigma is laid on him that says that politically incorrect truth will not change one iota the end result. Fear of being marginalized never stopped progress yet and rules of behavior can not be imposed for long unless there is real proof of the untruth supposedly being proffered. The dam that political correctness
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisraises to finding truth will
collapse eventually by the real pressure that truth always exerts. I guess the test for Doctor Watson will have to wait and If he's right then like so many other scientist including
great ones like Gallileo,
vindication will not be his to savor. But we will all still be required to accept it nontheless. The church to its everlasting chagrine found this to be a truth.
A guy discovers DNA and he is basically fired for a "racist" comment. All he said was that since all the races evolved on different continents and isolated from each other for at least some amount of time that there is no reason to believe that we all evolved the same amount of intelligence. It's a perfectly reasonable statement to me. People don't care about the truth. They just don't want to stir up controversy or be politically incorrect.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAlso, hell yeah it would be great if all girls were pretty!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLMAO yeah, and while we're being racist let's be sexist too. Can all girls be coconut brown with really little waists and really big butts. Thick full lips lips would be great as well. Grow up people. Being an exceptional scientist doesn't make one an authority on all things human and Watson is just an idiot when it comes to the topic of race (no such thing) and intelligence. But as any good scientist knows, "in God we trust, all others bring data!" I say to Watson where is your data! Oh, I thought so. Sad to say that history will have to acknowledge that the guy who helped discover DNA died a racist sexist homophobe but apparently that is his legacy and one I will certainly teach to my students whenever his name is discussed. Hope you other posters are in a position to do the same..... being so genetically superior and all. You guys are funny!
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