I would like to draw the attention of all progressive minded people in the community to a very significant anniversary on July 1. It marks the 150th announcement in London at a meeting of the Linnaean Society, of the principle of natural selection, the major foundation of the modern theory of evolution.

The meeting was held to resolve what could have become a contentious issue: whether Charles Darwin or Alfred Wallace was due the credit for formulating the principle.

Darwin had been working toward developing it for many years but had not published anything. Wallace independently had come to the same conclusion from his biological explorations in distant Malay. He sent an outline of his work to Darwin asking that he help to have it published. Greatly concerned that he might be scooped, Darwin asked several of his scientific friends what he should do. They recommended a joint presentation of his and Wallace’s work at a meeting and that is what happened.

The audience reaction was an almost unanimous yawn—the idea was ahead of its time.

Subsequently, Wallace ceded priority to Darwin and was a staunch defender of his, thereafter.

So, whether one agrees with the theory of evolution or not, it should be recognized that July 1, 1858, marked the beginning of a revolution in man’s thinking about his place in the universe and the rumblings of that revolution are still strongly with us today.

EARLE MULLEN
GRAND JUNCTION

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