The Genius Factory

Lauren Brooks

The Book & Author

0All details changed0David Plotz0Mothers profession0 Inspiration from his father0Age 100Education and Careers0Married, 3 children

How it began

02000 began doing research0What he knew 1980-19990Robert Graham and William Shockley0Within the 19 years, over 200 kids born0Statistic found0Curiosity with his daughter0 If this is now, what’s in the future?0Published article as first step

Robert Graham

0Born 1906, oldest of four0Father Frank0Mother Fern Klark0Childhood0Caddied, mainly to be around the smart men0Learned racism

Robert Graham

0Studying music to become “a star”0Moving to New York0Wife #1 and three children0Changed his life goals- Optometry0World War 20Got bored with his job0Plastic Lenses!

Plastic Lenses

0Fail, Fail, Fail, SUCCESS!0Slow start until fashion hit01960’s big glasses0First antireflective coating0First UV protected lenses0Millionaire

Family Web

0Great fame, miserable personal life0Divorced Wife #10Married Wife #2 – 2 more children0Wife #2 dies0Child #6 out of wedlock0Wife #3 Marta Ve Everton, 2 children0Total of 8 children0Followed in his fathers footsteps

Robert’s Views

0Ephraim Shay – childless inspiration0No religion, faith in eugenics0 Idiots were multiplying too fast0Civil and Women’s rights = book0 “Future of a man: Act now or humanity will die”0Why are smart people using birth control??

0 “the disappearance of genes for high intelligence is a defeat for the uniqueness of man, and erosion of the essence of the human condition. The childlessness of an Isaac Newton or a George Washington, the extinction of the Lincoln family, the spinsterhood of the brightest girl in the class, are great biological tragedies. As a result, mankind is deprived of some of that essential quality which separates him from the apes.”

History of Eugenics

0Eugenics began in the 1880’s0Scared of overpopulation, Darwinism must work0Francis Galton0Greek for “well-born”0Hereditary Genius0British only talked about it, Americans did something about it

American History

0Scared about the blacks and immigrants01910 First Eugenics Record Office 01920, eugenics courses in college0American Eugenics Society Catechism 0Laws preventing “Mental defectives” from marrying01915 Harry Haiselden – Chicago Doctor0Wanted everyone sterilized01907- Law of forced sterilization in Indiana0Within 10 years, 15 states enforced law

Case of Carrie Buck

0First case to go to U.S Supreme Court0Virginia law- needed to be 3 generations of

feebleminded

Interesting Information

0End of 1960’s, 60,000 Americans sterilized0Child consent0 Ideas spread to the world0Hitler0 “Fitter Family Contest”0Haldane predicting 2073

Herman Muller

0Nobel Prize- radiation causes mutations0Sperm Donor traits: Intelligence and “Comradeliness”0Freezing and thawing sperm-save for the future0Graham asked Muller to write introduction0Muller and Graham started working together0Realized they didn’t agree0Muller thankfully died

1976 Robert was ready

0Gave company work to his son0Sold it for more than $70 million0Now he had the time and money to begin the bank0Moved to California-perfect location0Hired Stephan Broder0 Ideas for donors- science intelligence only 0Side fact- his own island

Collections Begin

0Sent flattering letters to noble scientists0Followed up with a phone call scheduling

appointment0Graham and Broder loved the trips0Background research to make polite small talk0Hotel rooms 0 “I don’t think we brought ‘inspirational literature, they

were older fellows and that did not seem appropriate”- Broder

0Strange arrangements and difficulties

The repository for Germinal Choice

0Los Angeles Times- Public Debut0Grahams statements0Extremely racist 0No Nazi0Skeptical reporter Edwin Chen0New nickname – Nobel Prize Sperm Bank0Word spread like wildfire

William Shockley

0 “Bill, go set the world on fire”0All about showing off 0Schooling 0World War II0Bell Labs0 Junction Transistor0Celebrity to funk0New focus- study of black genetics

William donating

0Graham desired Shockley0Credibility for the bank decreased0New comedian focus0Died down, once again Shockley in a funk0Other donors quit0No Nobel Prize Baby……ever. 0What do customers want?0Graham finally had the attention

Victoria Kowalski

0First bank baby!!0Ruined reputation once again0Felon parents0Abusive to previous children0Credit and loan fraud

Doron Blake

0Greek for “gift”0Helped bank’s reputation0New Born=keep time to classical music0Age 2= computer0Age 5= play chess0Kindergarten= Iliad, algebra0Age 7= draft of children’s book0Age 9= Einsteins Theory of relativity0Bank’s new Mascot

David’s response to the article

0Didn’t expect to get much0Edward Burnham0Publishing Edwards Article0Michael- son of sperm donor and sperm donor0Evolutionary basis0Parents, kids, 2 dozen families0Lorraine O’Brien0Emotional void0Semen Detective

Donor Coral

0The story of Tom0Sister Jessica, mother Mary, father Alvin0Marry couldn’t remember0Contacted David0Marta and Hazel0 Jessica- Fuchsia, Tom – Coral0Any siblings? 0Alton Grant0Contacting Coral

The truth of Coral

0Tom and Lana0Son – first Nobel Prize grand-baby0Doing well, but still felt a burden of genes0Finally found Coral0Weird meeting situation0Lost interest, lost the care for connection

Donor White

0 Joy0Dora0 Joy meeting White0Continuing connections 0Poem0Discontinued connection 0Harry Potter0Another Slate article, no outcome.

Happy Ending for White

0Sickness0Years of sadness0Finally meeting his daughter!0Happy ever after 0Scared to meet other children for sake of

disappointment

End of the bank

0Graham needed a plan0Floyd Kimble-cash cow0Death of Robert Graham, 19970Death of Kimble, 199801999, The bank closed0No “Sperm sugar daddy” saved it

Results of the author’s search

030/215- not random sample0Usually single (divorced) mothers0Not dramatic results0Nature vs. nurture? 0Doron0Who really matters in your life?

Visual and Audio

0Brochure0http://

www.npr.org/books/titles/138403361/the-genius-factory-the-curious-history-of-the-nobel-prize-sperm-bank 4:30-6 Tom and Jeremy

0Donor White catalog entry 730Donor Coral catalog entry 183

Summary questions??

0Do you know anyone who had used a sperm bank or is the result of a sperm donor?

0 If you were a donor child, would you want to know your donor father?

0What could be complications for the children with the bank closing?

0 In the future, do you think it will be normal to “pick” your child genetically (blue or brown eyes) ?

0What are your views on artificial insemination? Is it selfish?

References

0http://www.nndb.com/people/213/000364118/0Google images0http://

www.npr.org/books/titles/138403361/the-genius-factory-the-curious-history-of-the-nobel-prize-sperm-bank