Annals of Human Genetics Does A Little “House Cleaning.” Sort Of.

The Annals of Human Genetics is a well-respected scholarly journal dedicated to “increase[ing the] understanding of the biology of human variation, both in disease and in health.”  Since 1954, it has been known as a go-to place for cutting edge research on population genetics and other relevant scholarship regarding the relationship between human genetics and health outcomes.

Yet, the most recent issue of AHG takes a look back at the journal’s origins – a history that many geneticists would rather forget. The journal was originally conceived in 1925 under a different name: Annals of Eugenics. Between 1925 and 1954, the journal had an explicit mandate to publish scientific findings that furthered eugenic ideals related to breeding a superior race of Whites and curbing the reproduction of those deemed racially inferior – largely consisting of the poor, people of color, and those with disabilities. The editors noted in the inaugural October 1925 issue that “The time seems fully ripe for the issue of a journal which shall devote its pages wholly to the scientific treatment of racial problems in man.”

This special issue (free access) marks the first time that the articles published between 1925 and 1954 under the old title Annals of Eugenics are available online. USA Today described this as “represent[ing] a housecleaning for the publication  . . . [in that AHG] has opened its archives.”

Well, not really. AHG’s past as the Annals of Eugenics wasn’t exactly a secret of Schwarzeneggar proportions. Folks have known and have been talking about this for quite some time. And while making these early articles freely available online will increase access, hardcopies of the Annals of Eugenics have been available in pretty much every major University library since their original publication.

This gesture by AHG’s editors is certainly important and will hopefully re-engage the scholarly community on the troublesome history between eugenics and certain applications of modern genetics. However, this is not so much of a housecleaning as it is an acknowledgment of something that many people working in this area already knew. That being said, AHG’s current editor hits the nail on the head in noting that the eugenic origins of modern genetic research “shouldn’t be forgotten. Since the social implications of a lot of current human genetics research are enormous it seems important that in judging what human genetics is doing now we maintain awareness of the history of this discipline."