British biologist
and author, who achieved renown both as a scientist and for his
ability to make scientific concepts clear to the public through
his writings.
The grandson of
the zoologist Thomas Henry Huxley and brother of the writer
Aldous Leonard Huxley, Julian Huxley was born in London and was
educated at Balliol College, University of Oxford. As an
educator, he associated with a long list of scientific and
academic institutions and societies. In 1947 and 1948 he served
as the first director-general of the United National
Educational, Scientific Organization (UNESCO). Huxley was
knighted in 1958.
Huxley was one of
the most highly visible scientists of the mid-20th century,
popular as a radio and television panelist and as a lecturer.
Like his grandfather, he was particularly interested in concepts
of evolution and growth, dealing with them in the light of the
philosophic problems generated by contemporary scientific
developments. In his Religion Without Revelation (1927;
revised edition 1957), he suggested that humans could find an
outlet for their religious zeal in contemplation of their own
destiny, rather than in theistic creeds. In Evolution: The
Modern Synthesis (1942), Huxley made important connections
between evolution and genetics. His other writings include Essays
of a Biologist (1923), Touchstone for Ethics (1947),
New Bottles for New Wine (1958), From an Antique Land
(1966), The Courtship Habits of the Great Grebe (1968),
and Memories (1970).
__________
_____. "Sir
Julian Huxley." Microsoft Encarta 97 Encyclopedia,
(Microsoft
Corporation, 1996).
