Oldest Society for Genetics in the World?

When, many years ago I first joined the Genetical Society and published my first scientific paper in its journal ‘Heredity’, I felt a glow of pride in becoming associated, however, indirectly, with the giants of the past such as Bateson and Haldane who had pioneered the field of genetics and who, in 1919, had founded our Society. More than 80 years later it continues to flourish and still in its literature (including this newsletter) maintains its tradition as

'The World's first Society devoted to the study of the mechanisms of inheritance'

But is it? Last year, after looking into the valuable and well maintained archives of the Society at the John Innes Centre, I wrote a short note for the Newsletter ⁽¹⁾ on the society’s founding and in this repeated my long held belief that it was the first Genetics Society in the world. Imagine therefore my surprise, even distress, when I received a courteous letter from a colleague in Sweden which suggested that I might be wrong, and that the first society devoted to genetics was in fact the Mendelian society of Lund, founded in 1910.

What to do? A simple retraction seemed inappropriate for a newsletter, and in any case was not for me, as an ordinary member, to make. But equally, to do nothing seemed wrong, especially when I was trying to record the early history of genetics. So I decided to look into the matter further and here I report my initial results, at the risk of being expelled from the Genetics Society for heresy, or at the very least being banned permanently by our editor from the pages of the Newsletter!

Clearly an on-the-spot investigation was needed, but historical enquiries not being deemed a fit area for financial support, I had to carry this out on the basis of lecturing on Huntington’s disease, which also provided a convenient ‘cover’ for any historical investigations. As a Linnean Society Fellow, I was also somewhat apprehensive of disturbing the currently tranquil state of Anglo-Swedish relations, remembering that the ship bringing the Linnean collections to London over two centuries ago was pursued by a Swedish gunboat as far as international waters.

Fig 1

My fears proved unfounded and my visit to this old university city most enjoyable. Not only was I asked to give my lecture under the aegis of the Mendelian Society of Lund and its founder Nilsson-Ehle, but my Swedish hosts were eminently helpful (and hospitable) over matters historical. So, I can hear anxious members asking, what did I find out?

To be brief, there seems no doubt that the Mendelian Society of Lund was indeed established in 1910 (in comparison with 1919 for the Genetical Society) to promote the study of genetics, and that it has continually since that time held meetings on a wide range of topics under the broad heading of genetics. Indeed it also holds some relics of Mendel himself. These include the original of the famous photograph, shown here, sent by members of Mendel’s family in recognition of financial help given when they were destitute during the first world war; also lists of results from his pea experiments, in his own hand, presented to the Society by Correns in 1920. A history of the Society appeared in its journal Hereditas some years ago ⁽²⁾ and it is hoped that the current President will write a new account.

Fig 2

Many features of the Mendelian Society of Lund are in fact very similar to those of the early Genetical Society. There has been a strong association with plant breeding – the main Swedish plant breeding station, equivalent to our John Innes Institute, was located at Svalöf, near Lund. The whole field of plant and animal (including human) genetics was and continues to be included in its activities. And, as with our own society, some prominent members (though not the societies themselves) were uncomfortably closely associated with eugenics in the early years. Also, the Mendelian Society has its own flourishing international journal ‘Hereditas’, founded in 1920 (cover shown here) and equivalent to our Heredity. Perhaps its most famous paper (or at least the best known to me as a human geneticist) is the 1956 report by Tjio and Levan ⁽³⁾ that the normal human chromosome number is 46, not 48 as had been believed for many years previously.

Fig 3

My conclusion at the end of this informative visit was that the Mendelian Society of Lund was indeed founded before the Genetical society, but that this is of little importance in comparison with the similarities that connect them. Priority is a fickle thing and it is perhaps no bad lesson in an era of pursuit of genes and gene patenting that nothing is really the first. Indeed it is quite possible that someone reading this piece may now write to inform me that yet another society devoted to genetics was formed before 1910!

I am reminded of Charles Darwin and the persistent attempts by others in subsequent years to show that they had first ‘discovered’ the concept of natural selection. Darwin wrote to Joseph Hooker with some glee in October 1865, ⁽⁴⁾ when yet another earlier description of the principle had been found dating to 1813:

So poor old Patrick Matthew, is not the first, and he cannot or ought not any longer put on his Title pages “Discoverer of the principle of Natural Selection”!

So, in conclusion, I very much hope that my intervention in the field may have made a small contribution to strengthening links between British and Swedish geneticists, through a greater awareness of our common heritage and early roles of both countries in the discipline. Perhaps, when the Mendelian Society of Lund marks its centenary in 2010, our own Society might send a representative to the celebrations? Meanwhile, whether any change in wording is needed on our own Society’s literature I regard as a purely editorial decision!

Acknowledgements

I should like to thank Professor Bengt O. Bengtsson, President of the Mendelian Society of Lund for information about the Society and for the invitation to lecture; also Professor Ulf Kristofferson, for his kindness in arranging my visit and for the initial letter that set my enquiries in motion.

References

Harper PS (2004) The Genetical Society. William Bateson and the John Innes Archive. Genetics Society Newsletter, 50, 21-26
Hereditas (1984) Historical supplement to volume 100, pp ii – xiii
Tjio JH and Levan A (1956). The Chromosome number of man. Hereditas 42, 1-6.
The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Volume 13, 1865. Eds. F Burkhardt et al. Cambridge University Press, 2002.

Figures

Fig 1. Lund. The old university building
Fig 2. Mendel's portrait; the original is held by the Mendelian Society of Lund
Fig 3. Cover of the first (1920) issue of Hereditas and of one of the most recent issues

Peter Harper
November 2004

This piece appeared in the January 2005 Genetics Society Newsletter and is reproduced here by courtesy of the editor Tracey Chapman