Minds made feeble: The myth and legacy of the Kallikaks

An excellent summary of the influence of Goddard on New Jersey government policy during the eugenics scare. An eye-opening and readable book. Recommended to those with an interest in the history of U.S. social polocy toward people with handicaps.

In my research on eugenics on the deaf, of course many of the deaf were placed undert the generic name 'feeble-minded' especially if they did not know they were deaf. This was the favorite catch-all psychological and social term from the 1850's to at least the 1940's. In their quest to prove that feeble-mindedness was inherited Davenport and Goddard in the United States 'found' a family who they thought illustrated their beliefs in the finest way. In the process they denigrated a family history on the basis of a pseudo-science which used no scientific methodology but rather labeled an entire family based on their perception of this family's looks and abilities.What is even more sad is that the woman who ended up in Goddard's institution for the feeble-minded for her entire and long life, was actually a beautiful and given the environment she was placed in, accomplished person. And she was placed there because the step-father of her family did not want children in the household who were not his. This book was written by Smith to shred the evidence that the eugenists used to black-ball this family. He wrote a short rehistory of the family, and did research which showed that the eugenists went so far as to retouch pictures to make the family look worse. He also did a fine job of showing the completely unscientific methodology used to prove the eugenic theory of inherited poverty, feeble-mindedness, and criminality. Smith finally clears the name of this family by proving Goddard as what he was--a prejudiced charlatan with no thought except for his own fame.With the near completion of the family genome, and the specter of eugenicism raising its ugly head again, it should be considered by the publishers to reprint this book as a reminder of how social attitudes affect science. I think it is also needed to once again continue to clear this family's history (even though the names are made up) because so much was written to denigrate them.Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh