D’Arcy’s legacy

Iconic book continues to inspire across the globe

Sir D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson — a professor at University College Dundee, a precursor of Dundee University, for 32 years — published the “groundbreaking” On Growth And Form in 1917 (pictured right).

The book, which centred on the belief that biologists relied too heavily on evolution without considering physics, continues to inspire artists and scientists to this day.

He gained international fame during his career and after his death in 1948 in St Andrews, aged 88, he was described as an “outstanding” personality.

A tribute carried in a local newspaper clipping said: “By his death, Scotland has lost one of her greatest academic figures.”

Matthew Jarron, curator of museum services at Dundee University, today spoke of his lasting legacy.

He said: “There are a number of things to mention in regards to the lasting i mpact that D’Arcy has had, including his work here in the city, at the university and in his field

“He had an enormous impact in terms of our understanding of biology today and the idea of looking at the way that organisms grow mathematically.”

Matthew said that D’Arcy had delayed publishing the groundbreaking research because it was “very controversial” at the time.

He added: “There were two schools of thought back t hen about life and how organisms develop.

“There was the religious view, which was based on vitalism, and then there was Darwinian natural selection.

“D’Arcy seemed to be opposing both those views.

“In reality, he wasn’t disagreeing with Darwin.

“He just thought that it didn’t explain enough.”

Matthew said the invention of computers meant that D’Arcy’s theories could be proved, resulting in a “massive growth” in the area.

Students currently studying arts, architecture, and also those at the university’s medical school, have benefitted from his legacy. D’Arcy took up the first Chair of Biology, at what was then University College Dundee, in 1885. He was also a founding member of the Dundee Social Union, which campaigned to improve conditions for some of the city’s poorest residents. During his 32 years in Dundee, he founded and developed a large and impressive zoology museum, collecting specimens from all over the world. Although the building was demolished in the 1950s, a new version of the museum was opened in 2008, featuring many of his original specimens. Matthew added that Dundee University has a host of events scheduled for later this year to commemorate the centenary. The university will be hosting a conference and public exhibition on the impact of On Growth And Form and it is also planning to release a comic book series.

A CENTURY after publishing his most famous work, a Dundee University professor’s legacy is still shaping the world around us.