The Francis Crick Papers

Title:

Letter from Henry R. V. Arnstein to Francis Crick

Description:

In the wake of a military coup in Greece in April 1967 and the subsequent dismissal of many academics from university positions, scientists debated whether to boycott scientific meetings in Greece as a sign of protest, and more broadly their political responsibilities for maintaining freedom of research and civil liberties. Unlike many of his European colleagues, Crick was not in favor of a boycott because it did not extend to other oppressive regimes and would further undermine the position of Greek scientists. In his letter Arnstein similarly took the position that if conferences continued to serve the purpose of furthering scientific exchange, they should be held even in countries that restrict scientists' freedom of movement. The debate focused on the annual summer school for molecular biologists held on the Greek island of Spetsai.

Number of Image Pages:

2 (211,690 Bytes)

Date:

1969-11-20 (November 20, 1969)

Creator:

Arnstein, Henry R. V.

Recipient:

Crick, Francis

Source: