Page Two 



I,' le V O L L! T I O N 



January, 1938 



EVOLUTION'S EDITORIAL FAMILY is growing. 

 The Scientific Advisory Board is strengthened by the 

 addition of Dr. Alexander Goldenweiser, Professor ot 

 Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin, and Dr. 

 Clyde Fisher, Curator of the Hayden Planetarium at the 

 American Museum of Natural History. 



To the group of Contributing Editors we welcome: — 

 Melville P. Cummin, Artist and Naturalist, associated with 

 the American Kennel Gazette; Mrs. Miriam DeFord 

 ^-.~,^ Shipley, for many years active with Maynard Shipley in 

 P'*' championing the cause of Science Freedom through the 

 Science League of America; and Dr. Nathan S. Washton, 

 Director of Biological Sciences, Kittatiny Camp, Layton, 

 N. J., and Merit Badge Counselor in Nature Study, Boy 

 Scouts of America, who will conduct a special Nature Study 

 column for youngsters. 



Some Very Fancy Pussyfooting 



LAST summer a discharged school teacher, Laura Morris, 

 on trial before the school board at Waynesburg, Pa., 

 was reported to have defended herself against the accusa- 

 tion that she had "taught that man is descended from 

 monkeys" with the statement that she had done no such 

 thing, but had "merely mentioned it as a joke" ! 



In connection with this case the Philadelphia Bulletin 

 interviewed some of the leading school dignitaries of that 

 metropolis and reports (August 13, 1937): — 



No Monkey Theories Taught Here 



Both Dr. Edward E. Wildman, director of science 

 education in the Philadelphia Public Schools, and Dr. 

 John L. Haney, Principal of Central High School, 

 join in denying that "the theory that man is descended 

 from a monkey" is taught here. 



"The old theory of evolutionists as to whether man 

 is descended from the monkey has been over these 

 many years," said Dr. Haney. "Such teaching is dis- 

 credited and is not representative of science and so 

 will not be found in our text books." 



Observe the fancy foot work of the eminent Drs. in es- 

 caping from a tight corner. A straightforward answer 

 would have made difficulties, either with scientists or with 

 the fundamentalists in Philadelphia. Sa, hoping to remain 

 in the good graces of both camps, they speak with a double 

 tongue and make a statement that can be interpreted in 

 two ways. The scientist can say: "Technically correct. 

 Man is not descended from any existing monkey. Man 

 and monkey are descended from a common ancestor." But 

 Dr. Haney knows the fundamentalists will not make this 



fine distinction. They will approve Dr. Haney's statement, 

 understanding him to mean that man and monkey are not 

 related at all and that the fact of evolution itself is dis- 

 credited. Dr. Haney would have a hard time finding a 

 single trained biologist in the Philadelphia High Schools or 

 at the University of P'ennsylvania to support such a posi- 

 tion. It would make him a laughing stock in the scientific 

 world. On the other hand, to admit that evolution is ac- 

 cepted universally in the world of science, and that it is 

 taken for granted in all serious biology teaching in High 

 Schools and Universities, would bring the fundamentalists 

 down upon him. So he pussyfoots. 



He is by no means an isolated phenomenon. We merely 

 mention him since he permitted himself to be quoted. 

 His attitude is quite general among school officials. Under 

 present conditions the teacher of intellectual integrity who 

 refuses to make statements with double meanings, who 

 gives an unequivocal answer to questions, usually remains 

 a class room teacher or is "weeded out" long before reach- 

 ing the higher executive positions in the schools. We 

 know a few brilliant exceptions, and to them all honor, but 

 Jesuitism seems a characteristic fitting for survival as school 

 official in a world half scientific, half fundamentalist. 



The remedy? Spread science among the people, until 

 they learn to appreciate the uncompromising honesty of 

 the research scientist and demand the same high standard 

 of the officials entrusted with the education of our youth. 



• L .£. K. 

 "The biologist knows that he is temporary custodian of 



riches of an amazing personal kind — riches that multiply 

 with the sharing — and that for the good of man and of 

 nations these riches must be shared more effectively." 



• — Oscar Riddle. 



An Invitation to Biology Teachers 



A Committee of the American Association of Biological 

 Societies has recommended and offered to aid in the forma- 

 tion of a national association of those who teach biology 

 in secondary schools. It is a deplorable fact that at present 

 the 20,000 high school biology teachers are a scattered 

 host, unable even to make contact with each other and 

 powerless to cope with the problems that confront them 

 as teachers of life science. Every high school biology 

 teacher that would like to help remedy this situation and 

 aid in the preliminary work of forming a National Asso- 

 ciation of Biology Teachers is invited to communicate at 

 once with Dr. Oscar Riddle, Chairman, Committee on 

 Teaching of Biology, The Union of American Biological 

 Societies. Address: Carnegie Institution, Station for Ex- 

 perimental Evolution, Cold Spring Harbor, N. Y. 



evolution, January, 1938, Vol. IV, No. 2. (Whole No. 21) Published monthly by EVOLUTION PUBLISHING CORP., 29-46 Northern Blvd., 

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