International Congresses of Genetics
The International Congress of Genetics dates back to 1899. While the first two conferences were plant breeding meetings, they were retrospectively re-named Genetics conferences in 1906. For overviews of the history of the International Congress of Genetics see:-
Krementsov, N. (2004). International Science Between the World Wars: The Case of Genetics. Taylor & Francis Ltd
| 1899 | International Conference on Hybridisation and Cross-Breeding of Varieties London, England |
| This conference preceded the re-discovery of Mendel’s laws of inheritance by one year. One of the three ‘re-discovers’, Hugo De Vries, presented a paper. William Bateson who gave the study of heredity the name ‘genetics’ and was an early leader of the discipline also spoke. Report in NATURE Report in SCIENCE Conference report & text of papers from J. Roy. Hort. Soc. 24, 1900. |
| 1902 | International Conference on Plant Breeding and Hybridization New York, USA |
| Both Bateson and De Vries presented papers on Mendelism at this conference. Wilhelm Johannsen who went on to coin the term ‘gene’ and to distinguish between genotype and phenotype delivered the first paper of the conference. Proceedings and text of papers from Memoirs of the Horticultural Society of New York ; vol. 1. |
| 1906 | 3rd International Conference on Genetics London, England |
| Mendelism so permeated the program of this conference that Mendel’s photograph appears in the opening pages of the Proceedings document. The three ‘re-discovers’ of Mendel’s laws (Correns, de Vries and von Tschermak) were all present. This was the first of these meetings to feature talks on animal genetics. Proceedings and text of papers published by the Royal Horticultural Society |
| 1927 | 5th International Congress on Genetics Berlin, Germany |
| The fifth Congress was held at the University of Berlin. The program was outlined in the journal Science A report on the Congress was published in Nature The proceedings of the Congress were published in Z. f. Induct. Abstamm.-u. Vererbungsl., suppl. 1, 1928 The Congress was attended by 1000 delegates and 135 papers were read. Sergei Navashin was elected as the Congress President in recognition of the excellence of his research in cytology and the growing significance of the study of cytology in genetics. Research presented by Hermann Muller on the induction of mutations with x rays that would ultimately lead to the award of the Nobel Prize was considered to be a highlight of the Congress. Research on Drosophila, primroses, wheat and maize were prominent along with intense interest in crossing over and linkage. Several papers on human twin studies and blood groups were presented.Z. f. induct. Abstamm.-u. Vererbungsl., suppl. 1, 1928 |
| 1932 | 6th International Congress on Genetics Ithaca, NY, USA |
| Four people who would go on to win the Nobel Prize spoke at this Congress - Thomas Morgan (1933), Hermann Muller (1946), George Beadle (1958) and Barbara McClintock (1983). Morgan was the Congress President and Calvin Bridges the Vice President. Muller spoke about his research on induction of mutations by X rays that would win him the Nobel Prize. Curt Stern presented his seminal research using translocations to provide physical evidence of crossing over. Four giants of 20th century population and evolutionary genetics - Theodosius Dobzhansky, R. A. Fisher, J. B. S. Haldane, and Sewall Wright also presented their latest research. The Congress featured many exhibits, including a “living chromosome map” with mutant maize plants placed in positions representing the locations of the causal mutations on the linkage map. Congress Program Historical Reflection by James Crow Report in Science |
| 1939 | 7th International Congress on Genetics Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Congress Proceedings Report in Nature Report in the Journal of Heredity |
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