= ee
GARY WERSKEY: |
The
Visible
College
GARY WERSKEY
The Visible Colege isa colectve ography of
‘ive Bish scientists who became commited
seciasts around the tie oft Fist Werld
Warand stuck that commitment forthe est
olthairves, The names-—J.0. Bernal J.B. 8,
Haldane, Lancelot Hogben, Hyman Levy, and
Joseph Noedham—celebrates at the te,
may be lama fo some readers today, But
fromthe midis to the mics, through
{hoi wig an through the publ attached
to thor own activites, hese men were widely
recognized as some ol heleading nalts
celtic ganeation
This book recounts the story of tei ves
and, as they saw th ties.
Their ongns were exraorinaniy diverse,
ranging tom the astocraealy assured Up
bringing ofJ-B.S. Haldane tothe impoverished
woking class home of Hyman Lewy. Yet om
these contrasting backgrounds emerged a
‘group of men who wore united in tor deca
tion ote causes of science and of soiaom,
Uni, bowever, ct not mean sameness. For
win their company thy each embraced ory
(oor
0570Gary Werskey
The
Visible
College
of British Scientific Socialists
of the 1930sage ara log eh so repre
th ako prom hero nay fr
‘Publi bol, Rina and Wissen, Madiom
‘Aen, Now Yr, New York 12017
ayo Congres ating in Pubcon Dats
Tie ubiccdee
Soca Gre Beni —Bigrapy,L Tie
fice eons) mee
Banoo
plied in 17 by Penguin Boos Ld of Engl
Fe filedin: 19)
Prine in th Use Ser oF Americ
lopspesassl
To Paul and Evone
“One bss fo if and another for scene i pi i”
al MarxContents
Price
Foreword
Part One Before the Thirties
(Chapter One High Science and Low Pies
1 Cambeige Sener
2, The Ope Coupiacy
2: Sete perlin
(Chaprer Two Worker, Warrior, Cz, Soilst
. Hymen Ley: The Seats Worker
2 J.B. S. Hine: The Scent os Wator
2s Lanelot Hoghen The Satis Cin
{¢ 1. Berl and Joep Neath: Sinn Scie
(Chapter Theee Cambridge Men
1. The Conntercukare
2 Derr Loyal
2. Peso Haldane’ Seine Polis
(Chapter Four The Ousiden
1. Pino Hoghe' Pall Scene
1 Profor Levy’ Solan
4 Wang fe Ley
sae
gene
esasPare Two The Thirties
Chapter Five Incesed Viblty
1A Rainn Roalbow
2 Reson Peon Pali?
5s Red Proisors
(Chapter Sie Theory
1. The Secs of Mats,
2 ‘Berl
5 Hogber’s Diet, Neehan’s Sie and Stas Sarprie
Chapter Seven Praice
2. Who Wats 0 Kaow?
2 The Cambie See Anwar Group
5. A Poplar one or Ser
4 Making the Lai Sf Slence
Pare Three. Since the Thirties
(Chapter Bight “Two Cultures, Two Camps
1 Selec Wate
2 Cold Ware
The Lye Ae
Chapter Nine Coming in from the Cold
1. Regoopnent
Afierword
‘Appendix: The Seen Left t Cambridge
References,
Indes
a8
as
SPEER S
H98s
sas
%
List of Illustrations
1 Laedot Hogben, 1936 (National Pore Gallery)
2. Hyman Levy, 1923 (Imperial College)
3 J. B.S. Haldane and Adour Huey, 1916 (Naomi
itchvon)
4:J. D. Bernal and his Cavendish sal, «935 (Alm
‘aekay)
4 Doroshy and Joseph Needham, «1937 (Dorothy and
Jousph Needham).
6. Hyman Levy a broadaner,e1932 (Bish Broadasng
Corporation)
126J B.S Haldane in Tailgae Sqoare lterational Pub-
Taking Corporation)
The incendiary bomb experiment, «1938 (Maurice
‘Wilkins
‘5. Jouph Needham in China, 19 (Joseph Needham)
1, Sutley Unwin and Lanelot Hogben, 194 (Radio Times
lon Pea Library)
n.Hyman Levy in the USSR, «1931 (Mo Ray
Waterman)
1). D. Bemal and Nikia Khrushchev, 1939 (Asocated
Pres)
15 Lancloe Hoghen in Birmingham, 1952 (lnernational
Publishing Corporton)
14, Hyman Levy in 1972 (Matin Levy)
15 J.B.S. Haldane Monaco, 961 (Asocited Newspapers
Groap Ll)
16, oveph and Dorothy Needham today (Dorothy and
‘Joveph Needham).In he ten year it as eke to bring his work co eatin, T have
scxived balp from Ierlly hundreds of men and women. To
‘mention them all woald roultin s ache meanings nd somewhat
‘Slecongrtalatory li
[Neverthele I mt mention: Everett Meadeliohn, who intro-
cad me to this subject and supervised my. doctor eek;
Jeph and Dorothy Needham, who gencoudy aed with me
their memaris, che papers and their home during the summer of
16 Bob Young, who inspired me (end many ots) to ask more
‘exching questions about my work; Michael Toston, who helped to
[pot me in tooch with a ft larger umber of socialists om the
‘Birr dan Toul have ever been able o meet on my own Job
‘Wolf, whore faith n me ad dis Book never tered even when
1 (and) did; and Jeane Hursceld, who, a6 socials and
femins, wa mor reponsble for my own dcalzaton ~ without
‘which could never have undertood an elie generation of
cialis.
"They andthe others made this book posible. Unforenaely,
sal bad to write ie Whatever mistakes and errors of judgemcat
fentain ae all ey ov.
ew,
Highiory,
Londen,
September, 1977Foreword
“The ivi Coleen of] pens that endeavour op ow
inde ou of nutans by he pace of wo mene cary at
ieee to everyting called man, sd nothing los than ap wena
feel an cote Andindeed hey ae ape ofthe want of
fpodemplymme dat thy ae the whe dy a mankind frre
‘Bot. tei no enough fd,
Rober Boye sgt
‘The Visible Cole has five cznta characte, thee themes and a
gle purpose. Each ofthese ements deserve ie preview.
“Te men whose actives and ides am festring ate J-D- Bernal
(sot), J. B.S. Haldane (193-1964), Lonel Hoge (105~
1973), Hyaan Lexy (1885-1973) and Joseph Needham (1e0-
‘Akhough the five canor be sido have foro a cose group
in the itecwatpesiod they did hold number of quale ia
‘common. The Sine one i that thes commitment 0 socaien
related the sealed "Red Dezade” of heap}, which sally
[eckono! ashe saring pit for thei generations radicaliaion
‘Another asibute they shared was that parption at various
fines in parry poli, whether on the let wing ofthe Labour
any ot inthe Comment Prey of Gree Britain. Pally, through
thet man books and acs they wee the authors of alge ad
Alnctive body of vocalist tought. OF oan chey were noe de
only oustanding progresive' scents oftheir ee. The names of
PACS. Blakes, NW. Pcie, W. A. Wonster and even CH.
“Waadington come o mind here. But nae of tem combinedin it
own lial of dhe characteris have sted eo Bera, Haldane,
Hogben, Levy and Needham. Thats why T have groupe them
together int the "Vb Callge*
"FMy ie ploy ogo te nae of London cy of mt14, Foreword,
have writen a collective biography - ab opposed toa general
and more sbseset account of the sents movement Se
hiss ~ because I believe that no sgoiicane social phenomenon
can be undentood apart fiom the motives and spictons ofthe
perions who dupe it (aio happen to find histories rooted in the
lives of parca individ much ener to read) Yer wile nen
zd omen canbe sid t make ther own itory, hey seldom do
{onder conditions of thes own cooing, That sone of Ma's
insighs which Ihave ied apply both to dhe diferent crcum=
staners of my five subject an the organizations they helped to
Seti motion, Hence [sal be continally moving about beteen
the conerete deta ofs man's ie and th bradet poll drama
of his time and poe.
‘Running croughou this nerplay berween biography sod soil
itor willbe three major themes. Oe of thee resent of
‘hekindofitellectuals who found ther way ino che pr-wae ef
"donot share the view of many previous writers on this topic chat
the pied. middleds died! of the tg3o wat 4 plitealy
Inexpenenced port who nsvely opted for communism ony 0 find
that his ‘God ad fled him bythe fallowing desde, However
swell hat hypothesis might work ith a few inivdeale and how
ver comfoning it might be 10 some untcondructed “Cold
‘Wario it simply breaks down when applied to the experienoe
of the gree majority of this pesod’s Iewingen, inching the
‘ents Hence thee sara nowd to determine why some pars of
the intligensia were more peoe to fia Hex than ds and
‘why some ofthe radclzedimtellecsals evenly tuned thei
teks onal varies of soil while others di not. ‘That one
reason fr taking» closer lok a this generition of oils,
‘Bile, she vibe Galo whch Aor iy oer ts
el enn ago daring te Engh iW Whether cmt sg
‘tinea por rane tbe Rol Sethe dese of
‘Bebo cro "tke he whe ody 2 unin fe the se
‘Sealy id snc the pe mod oe tat weld be ne
‘Stan by Berl a Me sce Ineo a al the ang
‘Sine ofthe spjr mere rary fed sf wing pr bere hl
"Tlucnary tion tf ti comtare om t o
Tor mre man show the vale Cleese Me Pane, The
opel Seay; Coat nd Cron (endo, 17 CEC. Webs, "The
(Orin oth Roya Sosy Hey of Se vel. 6 G98) P18
Foreword 15
A second theme i he dcovery of what price grouping
vin the Ll dong ad ying a th te Uae scaly
Tre has bon» tendo to vat he tough nd experince
of icing tnleenat omy the danas Thirty bat
orm Sen regal a le more hans colon of age
{nde down fone Sovet-domiaed Thiers wae
th ps wa pone Smid nthe mano production
‘of puphles Gr te fa, ur ch wa ot the ae wah 3
umber ofthe scene Les ling pokemen They nt only
{akened her own novel esha an! contain tpesiont
cf Marcin bt doy inked he ore ppv sss of
ighly eve pall pacts well Tope hae bland
‘om cond fort of poli we asad ns dere
‘be mon cel erty.
“The fia heme Twat to tackle ite impact of the tii
generon fecal on my own, Once a the par Lat
tee te vei of tro wey sess monepions Biter
ts bec ad to hve had ade oe occ on oc peal
‘lad bell which ae noraucepeble ro atonal roo’ Hogben
‘ras now prepared to Become, at had Rel in is Tenity under
{radate days a avowed and comfmed atheist. Pethps jos =
Sica a depare from the pre-natal projections of is other
twat Lancelods new deve to dedicate his ile wo scenic research
Father than medial patic.
"a ie a Tenity wa a ro limited to sporadic inerchanges
tween teachers nd aden. Equally if not more important were
the exra-curiclr aces ~ sport, dscusion circles and socal
‘lbs = which the privileged produce ofthe Englsh public schol
‘system ineviebly dominated. Once again Hoghes wasbng ented
‘Souter Navi he relited m6, Tsiodsted with those
The LCC fin thas wee sly hohe yeast ote
SSESELTni inc pote atop fn eat
Thyetn pup hem. Theses hen nscale mated bye
‘aot wib beg noghe mack worth whee pv tem De heli
‘ip ped by te Lamon ay ary eng them, No
‘Body exper! ing nes ee pbc moa overt
Seth bp os ery rope eel of eg, whos fats eng
Uh toepoeton ces Ths tough sel egw eid foe
‘buh nel very conving pat frees Socrng of
(Gough! ew jth of ough ad og eae popes
‘opm ou mln in te ae ono.bash bcs SL Sh olaat haabettemndnst scr tnac ck ctitinas dieloditn ee tateatnt
64, Before the Thinies
who were [amily] excanged fom the Esabishment'* The
Thos important expresion of Hogben'serangement was political
In his finn year at Cambridge he joined the univesiey’ Fabian
Seer
Tike most univesty-bsed Fabian branches a this time, the
CCamvdge soy wa considerably to the Let of olde members,
inclaing the Webbe, In this respect at lest Hogben was pica
tandergesdot, He fle uit the central feture of Dish society
teas the exploitation of worker by thir employes. If socialism
‘wet ever to be achieved here, i wold have co be though (prob
hy woken) cas warfr, The primary gals ofa socal Britain
vould be the eration of sociie men and women who could
Iie simply and hirmoniosly togeer on terms of tue socal
cuality. From thee very general satoments eight be deduced
that Hogben had steady encountered some of Marx and Engel’
tos base works. This a ict, had happened. However, the ees
of ther wekings on Hogben's poles was limited. What most
fEscinated ths underpevileged Tey media student aboot Marx
‘Sm was is emphast on the intedlatonship between social neo
‘nd scent advances While tht theme wast become central 0
gh’ cr wings, i played no role in his political thought
fa pracice this ume. Who did figure very srougly in the
hoping of his socialise ideals was William Mors, one of the
Fras cates and most determined eppanens. Hence it va not
Sorprsing that, wen Hogben sumed the serctarship of Cam
tides abin Sosy intr, he was deermined to de-Fabianize
it Within nine months the crgaizton had swung so fi from
Fablansm tha ie was peepred t change is name, at Hoghen's
Soegation, fo dat of she Cambridge University Socialist
Society.
‘One factor behind the radiation of Hoge and is ontem-
poraics ws the ontreakof the Ft World War. Yer an the
Fnnodaction of conscription in 1916, thet response to wht they
Saw aban ignoble imperlie venture ws diye and uncerain
Hogben, for example, decided immediatly afer obaining his
CCambrsige degre in [oly, 1915, t0 fer his services to the Red
‘Grow. For the next ix months he worked in Belgim and France
‘St member ofan ambulance an. But whea compalorymaliary
Service wa intoduced in Britain, Hogben reared Cambridge
Worker, Warrior, Citizen, Socilist 65
Jn onder “join my scan fiends who had decided to becom
‘Bimius oferta! * That Hogben now cho to oppose a law
‘Eom whee provisons be, ta medial student, was legally exempt,
far dea totimony of the sength of his anti-war and socialist
‘Tonvictons His efi 0 serve King and Country acordingl ed
{Sr court conviction and his removal 2> Wormwood Scrubs
‘Afr five month’ imprisonment Hogben was feed eacly in
sgn, becate his hea had given way. Later e wold el 2
own tology student named Ivor Montag seaifying tals.
Tra eeatment meted out at Wormwood Scrub, ‘neoding
src tora, ecalcrant men in detention Sed motcles unde
Tecpel deip from holed bucket suspended above thei hea
How Hogbes own physical consition was broken noe cerain
‘Bathe wat forcod to spend the beter put of a yea recuperating in
Tondo from his onal
‘Doag tht period of recovery Hogben tried to expres hit
pole experiences ad bells shroagh poetry. His poems were
Lopethee and pubes int unde the ide Ee ofthe
‘Snow, and Othe Port. In his volome Hoghe's dition issu
prsinglycomntic,even Swinburneanf The content ofthe ves,
owever i unorly brooding and biter. Ths in Shades of the
‘rion Howe’ Hoghen conjure up his hated of the tyranny (0
‘whi be ha been sajeted.
“Hogs ose to dling he de wat sagt by Bernd
apices tht When Rane wat imped
Eis rhe ants comcsipon ais he cee he flowing ae:
‘eat Mi Rawls oly wring 9 ee nae el you how nds
‘ROK you sand boon a evi undertl e a wht
‘nyon ne ea ering to whe yong ead who
SER tow tens stunt cyl alec enteric
‘eeeapatln oKo tat eat on oe the tee o Bape
Sieve owed i eke mo hthe eof he p.. Te
1h ntti bat wel, Gaod Lok. Yous very sl anc
Hho” Asguotedin Benn Rel Tae opp of Bernd se
seliZ Landy 96, pts lol, Hogbers deta to dsbey the
owen tbe coed le ofthe tae af dbo ego, we Be
EX iia mca spend,
Hott osm ered Bic ipa frome 193th went
oe liberal ough ip ery copys bau tte Se
1 Hagen leer he ao, 9 Joma 7vO OB LOS Ma ts a dona avebvahenbiebondcensicetebtaiaebeabeede dia sit:
6 Before the Thines
‘waif eon! Not anon
Tobi: he dsr nnd be ra 0
“ihe wean open i et gp
‘nia snd gover en with cooked Ree
“ike te gue om oto darcy yew
‘Tht cn bing a
‘ter poems ack Cini ith th ede 0 he eae of
trea who wal alone inthe night One vere even dsvows
‘Sinct a sluice guide to human happiness progees
Intel the enly hope Togbn slows for hi couneymen he
fsbily chs Beden might bcome s soc commonwealth
Sigua. th tile porn, x ofthe Show, wara pan tothe
‘eect Bole Revaon
“hs Hogba’s hah slowly revved, be Bogan to involve hie
in London's kiting doenods, the ifr hedgers of
‘hich was a seedy Sebo esblahment cll the 1917 Cb. Hit
Thun pl scigy wis woke’ edveion. Apt fom the
algy thos be tag a Bede allege, Hogben firs
Sree cocoa upon the Pee Ligue, “The Plc had ben
Funda a pr of an eft fo aig the intl ning of
IMhouing mun and women nore coy wie malant Forms of
police Hoghen worked had for the lagu bh a» parestine
Kress the Comal Labour Clg nd wrt forthe ls
gece Tis chet contibon fhe organicon wat is
insect working socilise reed cet a well 8
comic knowledge to wage the cla war cently.
‘Rote ws then gre imporneet many young octs
ves fein, Hogban wo fred fo confront ie question wth
{pestooumes, Foe by s9tt be wie mated o Bad Chas, who
i not only 2 commined feminist bat am acomplcl tate.
Inntican a Wel. Like Hoghen, Me Chas grew op in 2 ly
taded by ast man ofthe cloth, Sh ao semble her nba
interns of scene bellans, which she had prowosty demon
fru s Cambedge by excelg al the ale ein wrangle of
in yea inthe ‘me tp examinaons. Ba,» woman she
svn ten debe fom reciving + niveiy epee
inthe conte ofthe marl He Hoghen nd Charl emspted
tole tong enn ine (is vetoes way supported By
ther Eat Bnd welghbour and clone end, Sys Pua, who
‘Wosker, Watror, Citizen, Socialist 67
neorspe- The Werk’ Dredg —somctins elas
ITER Gites and Toga) Ske war pore ber nde
Br eis scan she ao wanted oven er ow mae*
Thy wee, however equ tae to hae chien ~ four all~
Bins the deze i wom 0 comple Ci anxin
‘Riipce Never, hua snd if hd oond Seger of
{Sppncs and companion wh each ae at tne
teeb res Ooe can eoelyinaga he poie eer ts st
{Bretiad on Hoghs mora afer his ong yea of sag
D. Bernal and Joreph Needham: Scientists at Social
Nici
4. Bemal and Joneph Needham were too young to have chit
Ties ‘ncked wp” dite by the Fit Woeld War, But hati not
the only cess they have boo pied together here. Both went up
to Cambvidge ats time when the intleceal atmosphere ofthe
ivory as peel intense. By the end ofthe wens they
twee intimate fends. Ther afises with each other then
Strengthacd over the year. They were tracted eo smi pulo~
tophiel problems concerning scenic theory and practice. To
‘hei profesional (and pois) dscusions each was ale wo bring
Ss extordnary erudition n che fivory of sence. In ner yeas
‘Bemus devotion fo the Soviee Union a+ model for sodalit