Sir Francis Galton

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English scientist Francis Galton, b. Feb. 16, 1822, d. Jan. 17, 1911, a cousin of Charles Darwin, made significant contributions to both genetics and psychology. An early proponent of statistical analysis as applied to mental and behavioral phenomena, he developed the correlation method in statistics. He was also an indefatigable explorer and an inquirer into human intelligence, and he made important contributions to the fields of meteorology, anthropometry, and physical anthropology as well.

Galton, convinced that preeminence in various fields resulted principally from hereditary factors, was inclined to oppose those who stressed environmental determination of either intelligence or character. Interest in the role of heredity led him to introduce the method of twin studies to examine the different contributions of nature and nurture. He also inquired into racial differences and was one of the first to employ questionnaire and survey methods, which he used to investigate mental imagery in different groups. He coined the word eugenics, and his work laid the foundation for the modern eugenics movement. Galton was knighted in 1909.

Bibliography: Cowan, R. S., Sir Francis Galton and the Study of Heredity in the Nineteenth Century (1985); Forrest, D. W., Francis Galton: The Life and Work of a Victorian Genius (1974).