Ronald Fisher Biography Essay
Ronald Fisher has been hailed as “a genius who almost single-handedly created the foundations for modern statistical science”, “the greatest of Darwin’s successors”, and even “the greatest biologist since Darwin”. Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher was a renowned English statistician, evolutionary biologist, eugenicist and geneticist.
Fisher was born February 17, 1890 to George and Katie Fisher in East Finchley in London, England. George Fisher was a successful fine arts dealer. Ronald had a happy childhood, being the youngest of five siblings with two loving parents. Unfortunately, Fisher’s mother died when he was only 14 years old, and his father lost his business 18 months later according to the biography by Fisher’s daughter. Although Fisher had …show more content…
In 1934, Fisher advocated increasing the power of scientists within the Eugenics Society, but members with an environmentalist point of view ultimately foiled his plight; he along with many other scientists resigned. In 1939, when World War II broke out, the University tried to disband the eugenics department, and demanded that all of the animals be destroyed. Fisher tried to retaliate, however he was exiled back to Rothamsted with a much smaller staff and far fewer resources. Fisher suffered through hardship; soon thereafter, his marriage with Eileen disintegrated, and his oldest George, a war pilot, was killed in action. In 1943 he was offered the Balfour Chair of Genetics at Cambridge University; during the war, this department was nearly destroyed, but the university promised him that he would be charged with rebuilding it after the war—the promises were never fulfilled. He eventually received many awards for his work and was dubbed a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. Fisher retired from Cambridge University in 1957, and was awarded the Linnaean Society of London’s prestigious Darwin-Wallace Medal in
Fisher was born February 17, 1890 to George and Katie Fisher in East Finchley in London, England. George Fisher was a successful fine arts dealer. Ronald had a happy childhood, being the youngest of five siblings with two loving parents. Unfortunately, Fisher’s mother died when he was only 14 years old, and his father lost his business 18 months later according to the biography by Fisher’s daughter. Although Fisher had …show more content…
In 1934, Fisher advocated increasing the power of scientists within the Eugenics Society, but members with an environmentalist point of view ultimately foiled his plight; he along with many other scientists resigned. In 1939, when World War II broke out, the University tried to disband the eugenics department, and demanded that all of the animals be destroyed. Fisher tried to retaliate, however he was exiled back to Rothamsted with a much smaller staff and far fewer resources. Fisher suffered through hardship; soon thereafter, his marriage with Eileen disintegrated, and his oldest George, a war pilot, was killed in action. In 1943 he was offered the Balfour Chair of Genetics at Cambridge University; during the war, this department was nearly destroyed, but the university promised him that he would be charged with rebuilding it after the war—the promises were never fulfilled. He eventually received many awards for his work and was dubbed a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. Fisher retired from Cambridge University in 1957, and was awarded the Linnaean Society of London’s prestigious Darwin-Wallace Medal in