The Anatomy of the Brain Drain Debate, 1950–1970s: Witness Seminar

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Notes

 [1] ESRC Grant RES-000-22-1375.

 [2] Evening Standard, 7 January 1963 cited in OED; United Kingdom, Hansard, cols 93–95.

 [3] Royal Society, Emigration of Scientists. The Royal Society is the UK's national scientific academy.

 [4] Sir Bernard Lovell comment in: Survey by the Chairman of the information collected from British Universities, June 1962. Royal Society Archive: 98HF 151.8.33.

 [5] Payne, Britain's Scientific and Technological Manpower, 375.

 [6] ACSP, First Annual Report, 12–3.

 [7] ACSP, Third Annual Report, 4–5.

 [8] ACSP, Long-Term Demand for Scientific Manpower, 6.

 [9] The National Archives, Kew [hereafter TNA/PRO] CAB 132/106:SP(52) 3rd Meeting. 2 July 1952; and TNA/PRO CAB 132/107:SP(53)26, Loss of Research Chemists to the United States. Note by the Chairman and paper. 30 December 1953.

[10] TNA/PRO CAB 132/106:SP(52) 1st Meeting. 6 February 1952.

[11] TNA/PRO CAB 132/106:SP(52)19, Science Man-Power in the United States. Note by the Chairman and paper. 21 June 1952; The rapid growth of the US science base was seen as a response to the high level of expansion reported to be underway in the USSR. For details see TNA/PRO CAB 132/108:SP(55) 6th Meeting. 14 December 1955.

[12] TNA/PRO CAB 132/108:SP(54) 1st Meeting. 6 January 1954.

[13] TNA/PRO CAB 132/155:SP(57) 2nd Meeting. 3 April 1957.

[14] TNA/PRO CAB 132/155:SP(57) 2nd Meeting. 3 April 1957

[15] Introduction of census material led to re-evaluation of previous estimates, see ACSP, Scientific and Technological Manpower.

[16] TNA/PRO CAB 132/155:SP(57) 3rd Meeting. 5 June 1957.

[17] ACSP, Annual Report 1956–57, 13.

[18] TNA/PRO CAB 132/159:SP(59) 36, Recruitment of Research Fellows in North America. Note by the Joint Secretaries. 30 December 1959, covering Recruitment of Research Fellows in North America 1958.

[19] Taylor, ‘Hoff’.

[20] All the candidates were 22–30 years old—50 per cent were married (all but one to English women) and of these 33 per cent already had one child. Several intended to marry in the near future. Hoff's impression was that they were ‘active young men just embarking on family life’. See PRO CAB 132/159:SP(59)36, Recruitment of Research Fellows in North America. Note by the Joint Secretaries. 30 December 1959, covering Recruitment of Research Fellows in North America 1958.

[21] All the candidates were 22–30 years old—50 per cent were married (all but one to English women) and of these, 33 per cent already had one child. Several intended to marry in the near future. Hoff's impression was that they were ‘active young men just embarking on family life’. See PRO CAB 132/159:SP(59)36, Recruitment of Research Fellows in North America. Note by the Joint Secretaries. 30 December 1959, covering Recruitment of Research Fellows in North America 1958

[22] Raison, ‘Britain's Emigrant Scientists’, 278–80.

[23] Royal Society, Emigration of Scientists.

[24] Payne, Britain's Scientific and Technological Manpower, 377.

[25] Royal Society, Emigration of Scientists, 5–6.

[26] ACSP, Annual Report 1962–3, Appendix A. 14–5.

[27] ACSP, Annual Report 1962–3, Appendix A 15–7.

[28] ACSP, Annual Report 1962–3, Appendix A 18.

[29] See National Incomes Commission, Report; also National Incomes Commission, Remuneration of Academics Staff.

[30] Wilson, Purpose in Politics, 21–2.

[31] Labour Party Manifesto 1964.

[32] Department of Education and Science, Brain Drain.

[33] TNA/PRO CAB 134/2620 BD(68)2, Measures to Combat the Emigration of Scientists and Engineers. Note by the Secretary of State for Education and Science and the Minister of Technology (and paper). 19 April 1968.

[34] Reed (1968) cited in Jalowiecki and Gorzelek, ‘Brain Drain, Brain Gain’, 305.

[35] TNA/PRO CAB 134/262:BDO(68)4, Programme of Work. Note by the Chairman. 19 June 1968.

[36] Loder, ‘UK Discussed Ban on Foreign Job Ads’, 121.

[37] See for example Morgan, ‘Cambridge Brains don't Drain’.

[38] ‘Gaps and Drains’, 223.

[39] See TNA/PRO CAB 139/713: Migration of QSEs between 1958 and 1969. March 1971.

[40] Anti-Brain Drain referred to efforts to recruit scientists into the UK.

[41] The Harwell Laboratory was the main British nuclear research establishment and part of the UK Atomic Energy Authority.

[42] Harry Hoff was Chairman of the joint Atomic Energy Authority/Scientific Civil Service recruitment boards which operated in the USA and Canada from 1958 to recruit back emigrant British scientists.

[43] Interviewed and recruited by the Hoff Boards.

[44] Willis Jackson (Baron Jackson of Burnley) (1904–1970), engineer, Imperial College London.

[45] Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), a government department established in 1916 to support civil scientific research.

[46] Sir Gordon Sutherland (1907–1980), physicist, chaired the Royal Society report, Emigration of Scientists.

[47] Lord Hailsham (Quintin Hogg) (1907–2001), Minister for Science in the 1959–1964 Conservative Government.

[48] United Kingdom, Robbins Report.

[49] Ministry of Education, Half Our Future.

[50] British Institute of Management, The Franks Report.

[51] Sir Alexander (later Lord) Todd (1907–1997), organic chemist, Chair of the ACSP.

[52] Walter Marshall, Lord Marshall of Goring, (1932–1996) was Director of AERE Harwell from 1968–1981.

[53] Aubrey Jones (1911–2003), politician and industrialist, Minister of Supply 1957–59.

[54] Bertie Blount was Deputy Secretary, DSIR.

[55] Sir Frank Turnbull, Secretary, Office of the Minister for Science, then from 1964 Permanent Secretary, Department of Education and Science.

[56] ‘Prefabs’ were single-storey prefabricated houses assembled quickly on site.

[57] ‘The Chateau’ is the Elysée Palace.

[58] Jackson at this time was director of research and education at Metropolitan-Vickers. Solly Zuckerman (Baron Zuckerman of Burnham Thorpe) (1904–1993), zoologist and science adviser, at this time was Chair of the Committee on Scientific Manpower.

[59] American aircraft company.

[60] British aircraft company.

[61] Du Pont, American chemical company.

[62] IBM, American computer manufacturer.

[63] North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

[64] University of Birmingham, The Grimond Report.

[65] College of Advanced Technology.

[66] National Chemical Laboratory.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Matthew Godwin

Matthew Godwin is a Research Associate at Lancaster University, currently researching the history of operational research in the Cold War British military. He is author of The Skylark Rocket, British Space Science and the European Space Research Organisation, 1957–1972 (Paris: Beauchesne, 2007); Jane Gregory is a Senior Lecturer at University College London. She has written widely on the history of popular science, and is the author of Fred Hoyles Universe (Oxford: OUP, 2005); Brian Balmer is Reader in Science Policy Studies at University College London. He has written widely on the history of science policy, and is the author of Britain and Biological Warfare (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2001).