437. LONG ISLAND AND THE LEGACY OF EUGENICS: STATION OF INTOLERANCE

Mark A. Torres via Zoom

In the early twentieth century, eugenics was at the forefront of scientific discourse in the quest to understand human genetics. On Long Island and throughout the nation, eugenicists were granted unfettered access to conduct experiments on prisoners, psychiatric patients, Coney Island circus performers, Native American on reservations and more, all in an effort to legitimize a false science. The origins of the eugenics movement can be found within the Eugenics Record Office, an otherwise nondescript two-and-a-half-story administrative building at Cold Spring Harbor, New York, under the direction of Charles Benedict Davenport from 1910-1939. The work conducted there directly led to the forced sterilization of thousands of American citizens, the passage of anti-immigration laws, and sparked a deadly global movement that directly inspired the murderous Nazi regime to commit heinous acts under the banner of eugenics.  Author Mark Torres, author of Long Island and the Legacy of Eugenics: Station of Intolerance (History Press, 2025), explores the local characters, influences, landmarks, and ghastly consequences that emanated from this small Long Island facility for decades and spread throughout the world.

10:30-12 noon                                                                                                 1 Session

Monday, February 10                                                                                     Fee:  $25

[A Zoom link will be sent to you prior to each session, typically on the day before your class and the morning of your class.  If you have any questions or need help getting online, feel free to call us at 516-480-5733 and we’ll get right back to you with assistance.]

ABOUT THE LECTURER

Mark A. Torres holds a law degree from Fordham University School of Law, a bachelor’s degree in history from New York University, and is currently an adjunct professor of Labor Studies at Hofstra University.  He is the author of Long Island Migrant Labor Camps: Dust for Blood (2021); two crime novels, A Stirring in the North Fork (2015) plus Adeline (2019); and a labor union-related children’s book titled Good Guy Jake (2017).  Mark is also a labor and employment attorney who tirelessly represent thousands of unionized workers and their families throughout the Greater New York area. His commitment to the labor movement spans more than thirty years.