Guide to the William Shockley and Eugenics Collection SC0595

Daniel Hartwig
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
October 2010
Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford 94305-6064
specialcollections@stanford.edu

Note

This encoded finding aid is compliant with Stanford EAD Best Practice Guidelines, Version 1.0.


Language of Material: English
Contributing Institution: Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: William Shockley and eugenics collection
Creator: Saunders, John Bertrand deCusance Morant
Identifier/Call Number: SC0595
Identifier/Call Number: 15653
Physical Description: 2 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1965-1978
Abstract: This collection pertains to Shockley's embrace of and advocacy for eugenics, including his work on heredity, I.Q., and race. It includes papers and articles by Shockley, including several presented to the National Academy of Sciences; two issues of the PHI DELTA KAPPAN containing a debate between Shockley and N. L. Gage (Stanford professor of education) on heredity, environment, race, and I.Q., 1972; and clippings on Shockley's views as well as reactions to them, particularly in the academic world. Some of the clippings concern the controversy at Stanford when Shockley's proposed graduate class on dysgenics (1972) was not approved.

Immediate Source of Acquisition note

Gift of Eleanor Thompson Wortz, 2000; Gift of W. E. Spicer, 2007; Purchase, 2013.

Information about Access

This collection is open for research.

Ownership & Copyright

All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California 94304-6064. Consent is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner, heir(s) or assigns. See: http://library.stanford.edu/depts/spc/pubserv/permissions.html.
Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Cite As

William Shockley and Eugenics Collection (SC0595). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Arrangement

The materials are arranged by accession.

Description of the Collection

The materials consist of correspondence, news clippings, publications and ephemera related to Shockley's embrace of and advocacy for eugenics, including his work on heredity, I.Q., and race.
Accession ARCH-2000-263 includes papers and articles by Shockley, including several presented to the National Academy of Sciences; two issues of the PHI DELTA KAPPAN containing a debate between Shockley and N. L. Gage (Stanford professor of education) on heredity, environment, race, and I.Q., 1972; and clippings on Shockley's views as well as reactions to them, particularly in the academic world. Some of the clippings concern the controversy at Stanford when Shockley's proposed graduate class on dysgenics (1972) was not approved.
Accession ARCH-2007-074 consists of materials, originally part of William Spicer's files, pertaining to William Shockley's embrace and advocacy of eugenics. Included are two papers by Shockley, "Possible Transfer of Metallurgical and Astronomical Approaches to the Problem of Environment versus Ethnic Heredity," 1966, and "City Slums and Research Taboos - A National Sickness Diagnosed," 1967; Shockley's letter to Spicer regarding the U.S. News and World Report interview with Shockley, 1965 (copy attached); form letter by Shockley in response to his 1965 talk on "Population Control and Eugenics" with 17 enclosures (articles, press releases, and other correspondence, including George W. Beadle); and form letter by Shockley requesting feedback on his drafted response to criticisms from faculty in the Genetics Department of S. U. School of Medicine, 1966.
Accession ARCH-2013-060 consists of Shockley and Foundation for Research and Education on Eugencis and Dysgenics (FREED) correspondence, news clippings, publications, and ephemera originally part of John B. deC. M. Saunders' files.

Biographical / Historical

William Shockley was a Professor of engineering at Stanford (1958-1975; emeritus 1975-1989). He was a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in physics, 1956. While working at Stanford, Shockley embraced and advocated for eugenics.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Eugenics.
Academic freedom
Human genetics.
Heredity, Human.
Wortz, Eleanor Thompson
Shockley, William, 1910-1989
Gage, N. L. (Nathaniel Lees)
Karkau, Isabel Steiner

box 1

Eugenics papers Accession ARCH-2000-263 1966-1976

Creator: Karkau, Isabel Steiner

Biographical / Historical

Isabel Steiner Karkau was an engineering student at Stanford University in the 1930s. William Shockley was professor of engineering at Stanford (1958-1975) and co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in physics, 1956.
box 1, folder 1, box 1

Papers, remarks by Schockley 1970-1973

box 1, folder 2

Shockley reprints 1967-1973

box 1, folder 3

Phi Delta Kappan 1972

box 1, folder 4

1966-1967

box 1, folder 5

1968-1969

box 1, folder 6

1971-1972

box 1, folder 7

SWOPSI matter 1972 May 12

box 1, folder 8

National Academy of Sciences 1972

box 1, folder 9

1973

box 1, folder 10

Committee on Undergraduate Studies review of SWOPSI matter 1973

box 1, folder 11

Biographical material 1972-1973

box 1

Eugenics papers Acccesion ARCH-2007-074 1965-1970

Creator: Spicer, William E., collector.

Biographical / Historical

William E. Spicer was a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University, 1962-1992.

Scope and Contents

This collection of miscellaneous materials, originally part of William Spicer's files, pertains to William Shockley's interest in eugenics and heredity. The collection includes two papers by Shockley, "Possible Transfer of Metallurgical and Astronomical Approaches to the Problem of Environment versus Ethnic Heredity," 1966, and "City Slums and Research Taboos - A National Sickness Diagnosed," 1967; Shockley's letter to Spicer regarding the U.S. News and World Report interview with Shockley, 1965 (copy attached); form letter by Shockley in response to his 1965 talk on "Population Control and Eugenics" with 17 enclosures (articles, press releases, and other correspondence, including George W. Beadle); and form letter by Shockley requesting feedback on his drafted response to criticisms from faculty in the Genetics Department of S. U. School of Medicine, 1966.
box 2, folder 1

Shockley, William, "City slums and research taboos" 1967 Jan 11

box 2, folder 2

Shockley, William, "Possible transfer of metallurgical and astronomical approaches to the problem of environment versus ethnic heredity" 1966 Oct 15

box 2, folder 3

Shockley, William, letter to Spicer 1965 Nov 16

box 2, folder 4

Shockley, William, form letter and enclosures 1966 Sep 6

box 2, folder 5

Shockley, William, form letter re: comments from genetics faculty 1966 Apr 14

box 2, folder 6

Shockley, William, correspondence re: lab security 1970 Jul 15

 

Eugenics papers Accession ARCH-2013-060 1966-1978

Creator: Saunders, John Bertrand deCusance Morant

Biographical/Historical note

Son of a British surgeon, J.B.deC.M. Saunders was born in Grahamstown, South Africa in 1903, and educated there. He took his M.B., Ch.B at the University of Edinburgh in 1925, becoming FRCS, Edinburgh in 1930. Dr. Saunders came to UCSF in 1931 as Asst. Professor of Anatomy, becoming Professor and Chair of the Dept. of Anatomy in 1938, a post he held until 1956. He has also served the campus as Dean, School of Medicine (1956-63), Chair, Dept. of Medical History and Bibliography (1937-73), and University Librarian (1943-1973). In 1959 Dr. Saunders was inaugurated as the first Provost of the UCSF campus, was named the first Chancellor of UCSF in 1964, and served in that position until 1966. In that year he was named to the Regents Chair of Medical History, in the Department of the History of Health Sciences.
Dr. Saunders has carried out research in several areas, including medical history (works on Vesalius and ancient medicine) and the structure and development of bones, the physiology of the muscles and the mechanics of walking. He was a member of numerous professional and honorary societies, among them the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Association of Anatomists, and the American and British Medical Associations.
box 3, folder 1

Correspondence

box 3, folder 2

Shockley-Seitz

box 3, folder 3

Correspondence

box 3, folder 4

Correspondence

box 3, folder 5

Correspondence

box 3, folder 6

Correspondence

box 3, folder 7

Correspondence

box 3, folder 8

Correspondence

box 3, folder 9

Correspondence

box 3, folder 10

Correspondence

box 3, folder 11

Correspondence

box 3, folder 12

Correspondence

box 3, folder 13

Correspondence

box 3, folder 14

Correspondence

box 3, folder 15

Correspondence

box 3, folder 16

Publications