James Watson

Vocation

Notable

Traits

Family

American biochemist, educator and molecular biologist who, as the co-founder and leading U.S. exponent of the study of molecular biology, earned the 1962 Nobel Prize along with F.H.C. Crick and M.H.F. Wilkins. In 1950 he earned his PhD and he is known as a scientific genius and for his audacity in directing daunting projects. A controversial figure, Watson has repeatedly asserted that differences in average measured IQ between blacks and whites are due to genetics. Watson is the author of several books, including "Molecular Biology of the Gene," 1965, "The DNA Story," 1981 and the best-selling "The Double Helix," 1965. He is pale with hypnotic eyes and wild hair, a look which some people compare to the archetypal absent-minded professor. As something of a wild card, he also is described as "totally curious." He was married in 1968 and has two sons. The 1962 Nobel Prize winner for science caused quite a stir when an interview appeared in The Sunday Times, 14 October 2007. He was quoted as saying that he was “inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa” because “all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours – whereas all the testing says not really.” Dr Watson added that he hoped everyone was equal, but that “people who have to deal with black employees find this is not true.” On 19 October 2007 he was suspended from his job at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), Long Island where he has been Director and President. Watson, whose book promotion tour was cancelled, said he had been “mortified” by people’s response. He added “To all those who have drawn the inference from my words that Africa, as a continent, is somehow genetically inferior, I can only apologise unreservedly. ...That is not what I meant. More importantly, there is no scientific basis for such a belief...I cannot understand how I could have said what I am quoted as having said. I can certainly understand why people reading those words have reacted in the ways they have.” In January 2019, following the broadcast of a television documentary in which Watson repeated his views about race and genetics, CSHL revoked honorary titles that it had awarded to him and severed all ties with him. Link to Wikipedia biography