E.B. Ford’s Followers (3)

E.B. Ford

Born

in Papcastle, Cumberland, England, The United Kingdom

April 23, 1901

Died

January 21, 1988

Website

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Brisco_Ford

Genre

Science, Biology, Genetics

Influences

Julian Huxley, Charles Darwin ...more

edit data

Edmund Brisco "Henry" Ford FRS Hon. FRCP (23 April 1901 – 21 January 1988) was a British ecological geneticist. He was a leader among those British biologists who investigated the role of natural selection in nature. As a schoolboy Ford became interested in lepidoptera, the group of insects which includes butterflies and moths. He went on to study the genetics of natural populations, and invented the field of ecological genetics. Ford was awarded the Royal Society's Darwin Medal in 1954. Later, in 1968, he was awarded UNESCO's Kalinga Prize for the popularisation of science.

Ford was born in Papcastle, near Cockermouth, in Cumberland, England, in 1901. He was educated at Wadham College, Oxford University, graduating in zoology in 1924.

Ford n Edmund Brisco "Henry" Ford FRS Hon. FRCP (23 April 1901 – 21 January 1988) was a British ecological geneticist. He was a leader among those British biologists who investigated the role of natural selection in nature. As a schoolboy Ford became interested in lepidoptera, the group of insects which includes butterflies and moths. He went on to study the genetics of natural populations, and invented the field of ecological genetics. Ford was awarded the Royal Society's Darwin Medal in 1954. Later, in 1968, he was awarded UNESCO's Kalinga Prize for the popularisation of science.

Ford was born in Papcastle, near Cockermouth, in Cumberland, England, in 1901. He was educated at Wadham College, Oxford University, graduating in zoology in 1924.

Ford never married, had no children, and was considered decidedly eccentric. Non-academic information on his life is hard to come by, mostly consisting of scattered remarks made by colleagues. He campaigned strenuously against the admission of female Fellows to All Souls College. Miriam Rothschild, an outstanding zoologist, was one of the few women with whom Ford was on good terms. Rothschild and Ford campaigned for the legalisation of male homosexuality in Britain. Ford was on good terms with Theodosius Dobzhansky, who did ground-breaking work on ecological genetics with Drosophila species: they exchanged letters and visits.

Ford has a Royal Society biographical memoir, but there are few other sources on his life.

Ford's career was based entirely at Oxford University. A.J. Cain said he took a degree in classics before turning to zoology. Ford read zoology at Oxford, and was taught genetics by Julian Huxley. "The lecturer whose interests most closely reflected mine was Julian Huxley. I owe him a great debt, especially for inspiration... Even though Huxley was... only at Oxford from 1919 to 1925, he was the most powerful voice in developing the selectionist attitude there... I met Ray Lankester through E.B. Poulton. He was already an old man... but talked to me a good deal of Charles Darwin and Pasteur, both of whom he knew." ...more

Combine Editions
E.B. Ford’s books

Average rating: 4.0 · 21 ratings · 1 review · 16 distinct works

	Butterflies (New Naturalist, #1) 3.91 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 1945 — 24 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Moths (New Naturalist, #30) 4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 1954 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ecological Genetics 3.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 1975 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Genetics for medical students it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Mendelismo y evolución it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1968 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	New Naturalist Butterflies: Reader in Genetics, Lecturer and University Demonstrator in Zoology and Comparative Zoology, a Hope Curator of Entomology, Oxford liked it 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Understanding Genetics 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 1979 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Taking genetics into the countryside 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 1981	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	GENETIC POLYMORPHISM (ALL SOULS STUDIES. NO. 5.) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Genetics and Adaptation (Studies in Biology, No 69) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by E.B. Ford…

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
UK Book Club: * What Are You Reading Now	10322	4755	Aug 16, 2026 11:56AM

E.B. Ford’s Followers (3)

E.B. Ford

Combine EditionsE.B. Ford’s books

Topics Mentioning This Author

Combine Editions
E.B. Ford’s books