Cold Spring Harbor: From the ERO to Watson -- Continuity, Memory and Epstein Connection (HIST-0049 Deepening)
Summary
Deepening of HIST-0049 on three axes: (1) The question of the Laughlin-Watson continuity: geographically ABSOLUTE, institutionally DISCONTINUOUS, ideologically COMPLEX. Laughlin was a political eugenicist; Watson is a scientist expressing racist opinions. (2) Watson commented on the eugenic heritage of the CSHL in an AMBIVALENT manner (Davenport had 'his heart in the right place'). (3) The CSHL has undertaken significant memorial work (eugenicsarchive.org, 2500 images, complete archives accessible) but primarily digital and academic, with no permanent physical memorial.
Detailed context
Deepening of HIST-0049 on three axes: (1) The question of the Laughlin-Watson continuity: geographically ABSOLUTE, institutionally DISCONTINUOUS, ideologically COMPLEX. Laughlin was a political eugenicist; Watson is a scientist expressing racist opinions. (2) Watson commented on the eugenic heritage of the CSHL in an AMBIVALENT manner (Davenport had 'his heart in the right place'). (3) The CSHL has undertaken significant memorial work (eugenicsarchive.org, 2500 images, complete archives accessible) but primarily digital and academic, with no permanent physical memorial.