286 Life and Letters of Francis Galton 



work. He replied that he " would sound the officers." I have his reply to-night, which I am 

 sending to you. You will see that it is distinctly unfavourable. In the first place, I did not do 

 more than ask him his opinion as to what the Council would be likely to do, if the proposal 

 were made to them. You will see that he speaks of referring it to the Zoological Committee. 

 Now that is hopeless — that body has just refused Pearl's really good bit of biometric work 

 " principally on the ground that they do not see the biological significance of the quantity 

 measured," i.e. they do not see what is meant by a correlation coefficient. Further, the idea of 

 the Evolution Committee having anything to do with the matter is too absurd*. That Com- 

 mittee is now merely a body for running Mendelism and the last thing to commemorate Weldon 

 would be to assist that movement. 



Now I want you to tell me what to do. Whether : (1) to let Lord Rayleigh put the matter 

 before the Zoological Committee : in which case the offer will probably be rejected. (2) To write 

 to Lord Rayleigh and point out that the Zoological Committee — as it does not contain a single 

 biometrician — can hardly express a useful opinion on the point. I believe it is simply a method 

 of shifting the decision on to another body than the Council. (3) To ask him to consider the 

 proposal as withdrawn. (4) To ask him to bring the matter directly before the Council, so that 

 we may know that they and not the Zoological Committee are responsible for the decision 

 arrived at. 



Kindly let me know what your views may be. Of course other trustees can be found, e.g. 

 the University of London. But I feel that for the distant future the R.S. would have been the 

 right trustee for an international thing of this kind. Affectionately yours, Kaul Pearson. 



Please return Lord Rayleigh's letter. If you could by any means let me have a reply by 

 to-morrow, Saturday, night, it might save the matter going further, if that is your advice. 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. June 30, 1906. 



My dear Karl Pearson, I think that the R.S. ought to be left severely alone. Their 

 official representatives repudiate biometry and their Council is already overtasked in awarding 

 medals. I can quite imagine their doing what the R. Geograph. Soc. have already done, viz. 

 refuse any offer to found a new prize. Oxford University seems to me far more suitable in many 

 important respects, and its list of Professors (as given in Whitaker) affords at least 10 suitable 

 electors,... and there could be no valid objection, I should think, to specifying certain names in 

 addition. I have not however an Oxford Calendar by me to refer to, for precedent, but will go 

 to the Club and if there be time, will write again, thereon, to-day. The 10 [1 11] Professors are 



Anthropology Medicine 



Astronomy (Law of Error) (1) Natural Philosophy — (I don't know in the 



Botany least what this is) 



Comparative Anatomy Physiology 



Geometry Pure Mathematics 



Human Anatomy Zoology 



I should suggest a short printed circular, enclosed with a few lines of written letter, to each 

 of these, saying that so much money is already in hand, that it is proposed to found a Weldon 

 biometric Medal, or other award,— that it is suggested that the University of Oxford would be 

 the most suitable body to bestow it, — that there are at least 10 professors witli whose subjects 

 biometry has some connection, from among whom a suitable board might be selected by the 

 University to adjudge the award. ...Finally to ask for their suggestions and whether they are 

 willing to co-operate in furthering the proposed plan. — That, after answers shall have been 

 received, the question of approaching the University will be considered. 



Would it be convenient if I called on you to-morrow (Sunday) afternoon 1 I would suggest 

 at 2 o'clock, but any other reasonable hour would suit me equally well. Will you telegraph 1 

 and I will abide by what you tell me. Affectionately yours, Francis Galton. 



I have an engagement here at 4.15. 



I am delighted to hear of the additional £ — . I return Lord Rayleigh's letter. 



* The President in his letter had suggested that if the medal were accepted, the Evolution 

 Committee might be a suitable body to award it. K. P. 



