Godfrey Thomson: the man who tested Scotland’s IQ TAGS: education | Godfrey Thomson This absolutely splendid and superbly mounted exhibition on the life, work and legacy of educational researcher, Professor Godfrey Thomson (1881-1955), has just opened in the Exhibition Hall of the University’s Main Library in George Square. …Continue reading →

Godfrey and Hector Thomson TAGS: Centre for Research Collections | Childhood Photographs | CRC | Edinburgh university Library Special Collecions | Fathers Day | Godfrey Thomson | Hector Thomson | Intelligence | personal papers | Professor Sir Godfrey Thomson (Coll-1310/1/2/2 Family Photographs) With father’s day coming up this weekend, I thought it would be interesting to blog about the father/son relationship between Godfrey and Hector Thomson. When Hector was …Continue reading →

A letter from Pip TAGS: 20th century history | Birth control | Carlos Paton Blacker | CRC | Edinburgh University Library | Eugenics | Eugenics Society | Godfrey Thomson | Intelligence testing | Professor Sir Godfrey Thomson | Royal Commission on Population | University of Edinburgh | Wellcome Library | Wellcome Trust Some of the most interesting letters in Thomson’s collection were sent to his widow following his death in 1955.  The following, from psychiatrist and secretary of the Eugenics society Carlos …Continue reading →

A few of my favourite things…III TAGS: Burschenschaften | CRC | duelling | Edinburgh University Library Special Collections | Godfrey Thomson | Mensur | Professor Sir Godfrey Thomson | Student clubs | University of Strasbourg | University of Strasburg In his mid 20s, Thomson found himself studying for a PhD under the formidable talents of Nobel Prize winining physicist, Karl Ferdinand Braun, at the University of Strasburg.  Today’s object …Continue reading →