Embattled Nobel Scientist James Watson Quits After Racist Remarks

By Anastacia Mott Austin

While promoting his most recent book, Avoid Boring People: Lessons from a Life in Science, Nobel-winning scientist James Watson earlier this month made some startling comments which ultimately led to his suspension and early retirement as chancellor of the laboratory where he worked.

Earlier this month, the Sunday Times Magazine of London quoted Watson as being "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa," because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours—whereas all the testing says not really."

Apparently unconcerned at that moment about how his comments would be received, Watson added that while equality was ideal, "people who have to deal with black employees find this is not true."

The comments didn’t receive wide press until last week, and the esteemed Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory suspended Watson from his position as chancellor when they became aware of his remarks.

Watson shared the 1962 Nobel Prize with English scientist Francis Crick for his role in discovering DNA. The laboratory where he worked has produced seven Nobel winners. Watson later worked as part of the multi-national Human Genome Project.

While not denying that he made the inflammatory comments, Watson has issued a statement of apology, saying that "there is no scientific basis for such a belief" that Africans have inferior intelligence.

In announcing his retirement as chancellor, Watson stated that "…the passing on of my remaining vestiges of leadership is more than overdue. The circumstances in which this transfer is occurring, however, are not those which I could ever have anticipated or desired."

Despite wide press coverage saying that Watson had retired completely, some reports say the embattled scientist will continue to work at the laboratory conducting cancer research, though he will no longer hold any administrative title there. There was no response from laboratory representatives as to the truth of this.

In addition to losing his title as chancellor of the lab, Watson is facing cancelled speaking engagements, such as the one he was supposed to give next week at Rockefeller University. Due to receive the university’s Lewis Thomas Prize for helping expand the concepts of science into the wider community, Watson is no longer welcome to speak at the university. He will still receive the award, however.

The Cold Spring Harbor laboratory’s board of directors say that they support Watson’s choice to retire, which they say was his own decision. In addition, the chairman of the board, Eduardo Mestre, told reporters that Watson had helped transform the lab from "a small facility into one of the world’s great education and research institutions," adding that Watson had made "immeasurable contributions" to the scientific community.