Sir Francis Gallon. 



xvi 1 



of the power of heredity would take several generations to permeate through 

 all ranks of the community. Eugenics Societies have already been founded, 

 and such considerable progress has been made that Galton's expectations 

 may well prove to have been too pessimistic. 



With the object of promoting investigation Galton initiated a Eugenics 

 Office in 1905, and this led to the foundation of a Eugenics Laboratory in 

 1906 to be worked by Karl Pearson in connection with his Biometric 

 Laboratory already referred to above. He further endowed a Eesearch 

 Eellowship and Scholarship in connection with these institutions. A 

 quarterly journal, entitled ' Biometrika,' for the publication of researches 

 had already been founded iu 1901, and Galton was asked to be Consulting 

 Editor. 



He said of himself that he took " Eugenics very seriously, feeling that 

 its principles ought to become one of the dominant motives in a civilised 

 nation, much as if they were one of its religious tenets."* It has been shown 

 that during his life he was the driving force of the movement, not only 

 by his writings, but also by his endowment of research in this field. And 

 after his death it was found that, subject to certain specific bequests, he 

 had left his residual estate, amounting to about £-45,000, for the foundation 

 of a Chair of Eugenics in the University of London, with the expressed wish 

 that Karl Pearson should become the first Professor, a wish which has since 

 been fulfilled. The capital sum was as far as possible to be left intact for 

 the maintenance of the Chair, and the necessary laboratory was to be 

 provided in some other way. Since his death a subscription has been 

 initiated for the latter purpose. 



This large endowment will be of enormous benefit to the cause which 

 Galton had so much at heart, and if his forecast of the future shall be 

 fulfilled, he will rank not merely as a great investigator, but also as amongst 

 the greatest of benefactors to mankind. 



G. H. D. 



* 'Memories of my Life,' p. 322. 



