Sir Julian Huxley

Sir Julian Huxley (1887-1975), 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 Huxley and brother of the writer Aldous Huxley, Julian Sorell Huxley was born in London and was educated at Balliol College, University of Oxford. As an educator, he was 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 Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural 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 ed. 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 Crested Grebe (1968), and Memories (1970).