The science of genetics took a wrong turn in the early 20th century and it ran through Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. Here overlooking a former whaling port, Charles Benedict Davenport, PhD, created the Eugenics Record Office and served as director of the Carnegie Institution’s Station for Experimental Evolution. From these posts he promoted and pushed the Eugenics Movement in the US, in Nazi Germany, and throughout the world.
Historian and attorney Mark Torres has explored the far-reaching and sinister influence of Davenport’s activities in his new book Long Island and the Legacy of Eugenics: Station of Intolerance (Arcadia Press, 2024).
It’s not the story of a fringe movement but of “the rage of the age.” Eugenics, which sought to control the development of the human race through such means as selective breeding, segregation, and forced sterilizations, was touted by politicians, intellectuals, academics, and even Supreme Court justices.
In his work, Torres traces a sinister strategy that included legislative control, the trappings of academic credentials, and partnerships with like-minded movements like Fascism at home and abroad.
Torres appeared on the latest Long Island History Project podcast. You can hear the episode here.
The Long Island History Project is an independent podcast featuring stories and interviews with people passionate about Long Island history. It is hosted by academic librarian Chris Kretz.
For a full list of New York Almanack podcasts announcements click HERE.
Read more about the history of eugenics in New York State.
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