20th Century Genius Award, James D. Watson and the Double Helix

1987 Words8 Pages
Running head: JAMES WATSON 20th Century Genius Award, James D. Watson and the Double Helix Jennifer Von Tobel University of Phoenix HUM 102 Ron Schaffer 10/02/2010 20th Century Genius Award, James D. Watson and the Double Helix James Watson is my choice for 20th Century Genius Award due to the astounding impact his work has on the world and mankind. His discovery has opened doors for science to delve into the very fabric of nature. His Life and Education James Dewy Watson was born an only son on April 6, 1328, in Chicago, IL. His Scottish father was a businessman and both he and his father enjoyed bird watching. This led to his fascination with genetics. As a youngster, James appeared on the radio show, “Quiz Kids”. A good student, he enrolled at the University of Chicago at age 15 under a scholarship, received a degree in zoology, and did his post graduate studies at Indiana University under Salvador Luria, a fellow geneticist. Watson did his thesis on a study of the effect of hard X-rays on bacteriophage multiplication. Interestingly, both Cal. Tech and Harvard University turned him down for their graduate programs; later, Watson would become the Senior Research Fellow at Cal Tech despite their initial rejection.1 James Watson married Elizabeth Lewis in 1968 and sired two sons, Rufus Robert Watson (b. 1970) and Duncan James Watson (b. 1972). Career in Molecular Biology Watson was interested in Salvador Luria’s work which concerned the nature of genetic mutations and began his PhD work in Luria’s laboratory at Indiana University. Salvador Luria shared a Nobel Prize with Max Delbruck for their work on the nature of genetic mutations. Luria and Delbruck were the leaders of a group of scientists in this area of study called the “Phage Group”. Watson’s involvement with the “Phage Group” and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory began in the
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