Racial IQ research and academic freedom

Letter in Sunday Times:

IN CLEAR violation of the tradition of academic freedom, the vice-chancellor of Leeds University has suspended Dr Frank Ellis and instituted disciplinary proceedings against him for presenting the research, published in peer-reviewed academic journals and scholarly books which demonstrates that blacks have, on average, lower IQ scores and poorer academic achievement than do whites (Profile, last week). Much solid research also makes it more likely than not that there is a genetic contribution to this (and other) group IQ differences. Dr Ellis, then, has done no more than restate what has been said for half century by a number of eminent psychologists and anthropologists at leading universities.

These include the late John Baker (Oxford), Hans Eysenck (London), Philip Vernon (London), Richard Herrnstein (Harvard), and Henry Garrett (Columbia).

A number of behavioural scientists, including ourselves, have reached the same conclusion. Others have put much of this on the record. Many more agree but have been reluctant to put this on the record for fear of the kind of intimidation that Dr Ellis is receiving from the University of Leeds.

There is an important and legitimate debate going on on intelligence and genetics, as there is on climate change and foreign policy. It is a sad day when British universities muzzle their academic staff and threaten them with dismissal for taking part in one of these controversies.

Professor Richard Lynn
University of Ulster

Professor Philippe Rushton
University of Western Ontario
Canada

Professor Arthur Jensen
University of California

Dr Charles Murray
American Enterprise Institute
Washington

Christopher Brand
University of Edinburgh
(1970-97)

Professor Helmuth Nyborg
Aarhus University, Denmark

Professor Linda Gottfredson
University of Delaware

Professor (Retired) Donald Templer
Alliant International University (1978-2005), Fresno, California

Whitewashing academic debate