The University of Chicago Library > The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center > Finding Aids > Guide to the Darwin Centennial Celebration Records 1959
© 2006 University of Chicago Library
| Title: | Darwin Centennial Celebration. Records |
|---|---|
| Dates: | 1959 |
| Size: | 5.5 linear feet (11 boxes) |
| Repository: |
Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center |
| Abstract: | The Darwin Centennial Celebration, held at the University of Chicago, Nov. 24-28, 1959, commemorated the one hundredth anniversary of the publication of The Origin of the Species. The celebration featured panel discussions, a musical about Darwin's life and work, a conference for high school biology teachers, and the Institute on Science and Technology which examined the relation of evolution to theology. Sol Tax served as chairman of the Centennial Committee. Contains correspondence, invitations, biographical material on celebration participants, publicity, press releases, clippings, photographs, and sound recordings of panel discussions and Centennial proceedings. |
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When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Darwin Centennial Celebration. Records, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
The Darwin Centennial Celebration, commemorating the publication by Charles Darwin of the Origin of the Species, was held at the University of Chicago from November 24 through November 28, 1959. The Celebration began with a Darwin Day program on November 24, the date of the one hundredth anniversary of the publication of The Origin of the Species, and featured a lecture by Sir Charles Darwin, grandson of Charles Darwin. On November 26 a special Convocation of the University was held in honor of the Celebration. The principal speaker at the convocation was Sir Julian Huxley. In his address, "The Evolutionary Vision," he proposed that religion, being subject to the laws of evolution, was fast becoming obsolete and would eventually evolve itself out of existence. The evening of the Convocation a performance was given of "Time will Tell," a musical about Darwin's life and work.
The heart of the celebration was a series of five panel discussions, involving about fifty well-known scholars from around the world. These panel discussions covered various facets of evolutionary theory and the influence of evolution on the modern world. Panel I was concerned with the origin of life; Panel II took up the evolution of life; Panel III inquired into the role of man as an organism; Panel IV considered the evolution of the mind; and Panel V discussed social and cultural evolution. The scholars participating in the panel discussions produced papers several months in advance of the conference that were read and criticized by the other scholars taking part in the Celebration. These papers formed the basis for the five panel discussions. The discussions were spontaneous, however, with no papers read.
Also included in the Celebration were a National Conference for High School Biology Teachers, an Institute for High School Teachers of Biology, which examined the problems of teaching evolutionary theory in our public schools, and an Institute on Science and Theology, which examined the relation of science, and more specifically evolution, to theology.
The papers written by the participants previous to the panel discussions were compiled in a three volume set Evolution after Darwin, edited by Sol Tax and Charles Callendar, which was published by the University of Chicago Press in 1960. In addition to Evolution after Darwin, products of the Centennial Celebration included a film, "The University of Chicago Darwin Centennial Celebration," produced by Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, a segment of a television show, "At Random," in which Sir Julian Huxley, Sir Charles Darwin, Adlai Stevenson, and Harlow Shapley participated, and various interviews with the participants, especially with Sir Julian Huxley, whose views resulted in much public controversy, and consequently much publicity for the conference.
The Celebration was the idea of Sol Tax, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Chicago, who served as the chairman of the Centennial Committee. The University of Chicago, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research joined in sponsoring the Centennial Celebration.
The collection contains correspondence, invitations, biographical material on celebration participants, publicity, press releases, clippings, photographs, and sound recordings of panel discussions and Centennial proceedings.
| Box 1 Folder 1 | Prospectus |
| Box 1 Folder 2 | Preparations (non-academic) for the conference |
| Box 1 Folder 3 | Preparations (non-academic) for the conference |
| Box 1 Folder 4 | Progress reports; work in progress |
| Box 1 Folder 5 | Progress reports; work in progress |
| Box 1 Folder 6 | Progress reports; work in progress |
| Box 1 Folder 7 | Committee meetings, notices, and minutes |
| Box 1 Folder 8 | Distribution lists |
| Box 1 Folder 9 | Intra-office correspondence |
| Box 1 Folder 10 | Student volunteers |
| Box 1 Folder 11 | Program for the Centennial |
| Box 1 Folder 12 | Topics for the panel discussions |
| Box 1 Folder 13 | Harper Library exhibit |
| Box 1 Folder 14 | National Conference of High School Biology Teachers |
| Box 1 Folder 15 | "Time Will Tell" |
| Box 1 Folder 16 | "Time Will Tell" |
| Box 2 Folder 1 | "Time Will Tell" |
| Box 2 Folder 2 | "Time Will Tell" |
| Box 2 Folder 3 | Anthropology Department Seminar concerning evolution |
| Box 2 Folder 4 | Official Centennial forms |
| Box 2 Folder 5 | General correspondence (A-G) |
| Box 2 Folder 6 | General correspondence (H-Z) |
| Box 2 Folder 7 | Correspondence with the University Administration |
| Box 2 Folder 8 | Correspondence concerning the Convocation |
| Box 2 Folder 9 | Correspondence concerning the Convocation |
| Box 2 Folder 10 | Invitations to the Convocation, replies to the invitations |
| Box 2 Folder 11 | Invitations to the Convocation, replies to the invitations |
| Box 2 Folder 12 | Correspondence with the American Psychiatric Association |
| Box 2 Folder 13 | Correspondence with the Chicago Natural History Museum |
| Box 2 Folder 14 | Correspondence with the Chicago Zoölogical Park |
| Box 2 Folder 15 | Correspondence with the National Institute of Health |
| Box 2 Folder 16 | Correspondence with the Society for the Study of Evolution |
| Box 2 Folder 17 | Publication arrangements with "Perspectives in Biology and Medicine" |
| Box 2 Folder 18 | Budget |
| Box 2 Folder 19 | National Science Foundation Grant |
| Box 2 Folder 20 | National Science Foundation Grant |
| Box 2 Folder 21 | Supplementary Proposal to the National Science Foundation |
| Box 3 Folder 1 | Adams, Robert |
| Box 3 Folder 2 | Anderson, Edgar |
| Box 3 Folder 3 | Axelrod, Daniel L |
| Box 3 Folder 4 | Bailey, Percival |
| Box 3 Folder 5 | Bates, Marston |
| Box 3 Folder 6 | Bordes, Francois |
| Box 3 Folder 7 | Braidwood, Robert J |
| Box 3 Folder 8 | Brosin, Henry W |
| Box 3 Folder 9 | Critchley, MacDonald |
| Box 3 Folder 10 | Darwin, Sir Charles |
| Box 3 Folder 11 | Dobzhansky, Theodosius |
| Box 3 Folder 12 | Emerson, Alfred |
| Box 3 Folder 13 | Emiliani, Cesare |
| Box 3 Folder 14 | Evans, Earl |
| Box 3 Folder 15 | Ewing, J F |
| Box 3 Folder 16 | Ford, E B |
| Box 4 Folder 1 | Gaffron, Hans |
| Box 4 Folder 2 | Gannt, W: Horsley |
| Box 4 Folder 3 | Gause, G E |
| Box 4 Folder 4 | Gerard, Ralph |
| Box 4 Folder 5 | Hallowell, A I |
| Box 4 Folder 6 | Hilgard, Ernest |
| Box 4 Folder 7 | Howell, F: Clark |
| Box 4 Folder 8 | Huxley, Frances |
| Box 4 Folder 9 | Huxley, Sir Julian, correspondence |
| Box 4 Folder 10 | Huxley, Sir Julian, papers, criticisms |
| Box 4 Folder 11 | Kluckholm, Clyde |
| Box 4 Folder 12 | Kroeber, Alfred L |
| Box 4 Folder 13 | Leakey, L S B |
| Box 4 Folder 14 | Magoun, H:W |
| Box 4 Folder 15 | Mayr, Ernst |
| Box 4 Folder 16 | Muller, H J |
| Box 5 Folder 1 | Nicholson, A J |
| Box 5 Folder 2 | Olson, Everett C |
| Box 5 Folder 3 | Pelikan, Jaroslav |
| Box 5 Folder 4 | Piggott, Stuart |
| Box 5 Folder 5 | Pittendrigh, Colin S |
| Box 5 Folder 6 | Polak, Fred |
| Box 5 Folder 7 | Prosser, C Ladd |
| Box 5 Folder 8 | Rensch, Bernhard |
| Box 5 Folder 9 | Scnmidt, Karl |
| Box 5 Folder 10 | Scnmidt, Karl |
| Box 5 Folder 11 | Shapley, Harlow |
| Box 5 Folder 12 | Simpson, G: Gaylord |
| Box 5 Folder 13 | Stebbens, G: Ledyard |
| Box 5 Folder 14 | Steinbach, H B |
| Box 5 Folder 15 | Steward, Julian |
| Box 5 Folder 16 | Tax, Sol |
| Box 5 Folder 17 | Tinbergen, N |
| Box 6 Folder 1 | Urey, Harold C |
| Box 6 Folder 2 | Veith, Ilza |
| Box 6 Folder 3 | von Muralt, Alexander |
| Box 6 Folder 4 | von Witzlebin, Henry |
| Box 6 Folder 5 | Waddington, C H |
| Box 6 Folder 6 | Washburn, Sherwood L |
| Box 6 Folder 7 | White, Leslie |
| Box 6 Folder 8 | Willie, Gordon |
| Box 6 Folder 9 | Wright, Sewall |
| Box 6 Folder 10 | Panel I |
| Box 6 Folder 11 | Panel II |
| Box 6 Folder 12 | Panel III |
| Box 6 Folder 13 | Panel IV |
| Box 6 Folder 14 | Panel V |
| Box 6 Folder 15 | Invitations to participate, declined |
| Box 6 Folder 16 | Mailings to participants |
| Box 6 Folder 17 | Lists of participants |
| Box 7 Folder 1 | Programs, printed materials used at the conference |
| Box 7 Folder 2 | Using Modern Knowledge to Teach Evolution in High School |
| Box 7 Folder 3 | Proceedings- The University of Chicago Darwin Centennial Celebration |
| Box 7 Folder 4 | Proceedings- The University of Chicago Darwin Centennial Celebration |
| Box 8 Folder 1 | Publicity correspondence |
| Box 8 Folder 2 | Publicity correspondence |
| Box 8 Folder 3 | Press releases |
| Box 8 Folder 4 | Television, radio publicity |
| Box 8 Folder 5 | Press releases, the Office of Public Relations |
| Box 8 Folder 6 | Press releases, the Office of Public Relations |
| Box 8 Folder 7 | Press releases, the Office of Public Relations |
| Box 8 Folder 8 | Documentation, film and recording |
| Box 8 Folder 9 | Clippings |
| Box 8 Folder 10 | Clippings |
| Box 8 Folder 11 | Clippings |
| Box 8 Folder 12 | Clippings |
| Box 8 Folder 13 | Photographs (portraits for press use, pictures taken at the Centennial) |
| Box 9 Folder 1 | General comments, thank-you letters |
| Box 9 Folder 2 | Correspondence from fundamentalists, crackpots, fanatics, etc |
| Box 9 Folder 3 | Correspondence from fundamentalists, crackpots, fanatics, etc |
| Box 9 Folder 4 | US Information Service |
| Box 9 Folder 5 | The Encyclopedia Britannica film on the Centennial- "The University of Chicago Darwin Centennial Celebration" |
| Box 9 Folder 6 | "At Random" (television show) |
| Box 9 Folder 7 | Materials concerning Evolution after Darwin |
| Box 9 Folder 8 | Materials concerning Evolution after Darwin |
| Box 9 Folder 9 | Materials concerning Evolution after Darwin |
| Box 9 Folder 10 | Materials concerning Evolution after Darwin |
| Box 9 Folder 11 | Reviews of Evolution after Darwin |
| Box 10 | Tapes of Centennial proceedings |
| Box 11 | Tape 1 Introduction to Centennial, Lawrence Kimpton, Chancellor of the University |
| Box 11 | Tapes 2-3 Sir Charles Darwin's address |
| Box 11 | Tapes 4-5 LSB Leakey's address |
| Box 11 | Tapes 6-8 Proceedings of the Institute on Science and Theology |
| Box 11 | Tape 9 Unidentified reel |