Science and Skulls: Measuring Columbia’s Eugenicist Past

Content warning: This episode discusses Columbia’s history with eugenics, sterilization, and the Nazi Party. Welcome back to The Ear, Spectator’s podcast dedicated to documenting, detailing, and excavating Columbia’s past and present. In this week’s episode, reporters Miles Stephenson and Matthew Lucia investigate Columbia’s historical involvement in the study and promotion of eugenics in the early 20th century. What were the varied consequences of Columbia’s advancement of the racist pseudoscience of eugenics? How did pro-eugenics faculty members influence world affairs? Has Columbia since acknowledged its historical ties with eugenics? Listen to find out. Credits: Voice Acting by Sam Hyman, John Lucia, Randal Stephenson, Tamara Stephenson, and Caroline SanPietro Music by Matthew Lucia Production and Sound Design by Sam Hyman Script Edited by Claudia Gohn and Sam Hyman