Charles Goethe 1567350 208216647 2008-04-25T23:10:29Z 168.240.1.2 /* Eugenics controversy */ '''Charles M. Goethe''' ([[1875]] - [[1966]]) was an [[United States|American]] [[Eugenics|eugenicist]], [[entrepreneur]], [[land developer]], [[philanthropist]], [[conservationist]], founder of the [[Eugenics Society of Northern California]], and a [[wiktionary:native|native]] and lifelong resident of [[Sacramento, California]]. ==Nature guide movement== Goethe (pronounced "Gay-tee") wrote admiringly of [[California]]’s [[Forty-Niners]], the State’s [[Sequoiadendron|giant redwood trees]], and loved the outdoors. He and his wife have been called the "The father and mother of the Nature Guide Movement,' initiating interpretive programs with the U.S. [National Park Service].<ref>[http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/yosemite_nature_notes/37/37-7.pdf "The World's Largest Summer Camp," ''Yosemite Nature Notes'' 37(7):89-94 (July 1958) by Charles M. Goethe]. Traces the origin of nature guiding in National Parks; reprinted from ''Nature Magazine''</ref> This was motivated by their experience with nature programs in Europe and desire to educate visitors in the U.S. National Parks.<ref>[http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/yosemite_nature_notes/39/39-7.pdf "Nature Study in National Parks Interpretive Movement," ''Yosemite Nature Notes'' 39(7):156-158 (July 1960) by Charles M. Goethe]</ref> His motto was "Learn to Read the Trail-side as a Book." ==Founder of Sacramento State College== Goethe founded [[California State University, Sacramento]] (Sacramento State College at the time), which in turn treated Goethe with the reverence of a [[founding father]], appointed him chairman of the University's advisory board, dedicated the [[Goethe Arboretum]] to him in [[1961]], and organized an elaborate gala and 'national recognition day' to mark his 90th birthday in 1965, when he received letters of appreciation - solicited by his friends at CSUS - from the president of the [[Nature Conservancy]], then-Governor [[Edmund G. Brown]], and then-President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. As a result, in [[1963]], Goethe changed his will to make CSUS his primary [[beneficiary]], bequeathing his residence, eugenics library, papers, and $640,000 to the University.<ref>[http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/v-print/story/8363132p-9292886c.html SacBee.com] - 'Curious historical bedfellows: Sac State and its racist benefactor: After receiving honors aplenty from university, C. M. Goethe left most of his big estate to it', Tony Platt, ''[[The Sacramento Bee]]'' (February 29, 2004)</ref> When Goethe died, CSUS received the largest share of his $24 million estate. ==Eugenics controversy== Goethe also recommended [[compulsory sterilization]] of the 'socially unfit', opposed [[immigration]], and praised [[Germany|German]] scientists who used a comprehensive sterilization program to 'purify' the [[Aryan race]] before the outbreak of [[World War II]]. Goethe also funded anti-[[Asian people|Asian]] campaigns, praised the [[Nazis]] before and after World War II, and practiced [[discrimination]] in his business dealings, refusing to sell real estate to [[Mexican]]s and Asians. Goethe believed a variety of social successes (wealth, [[leadership]], intellectual discoveries) and social problems ([[poverty]], [[illegitimacy]], [[crime]] and [[mental illness]]) could be traced to inherited biological attributes associated with '[[Race (classification of human beings)|racial]] [[temperament]]'. Working with the [[Human Betterment Foundation]] in [[Pasadena, California]], Goethe lobbied the State to restrict immigration from [[Mexico]] and carry out involuntary sterilizations of mostly poor women, defined as '[[feeble-minded]]' or 'socially inadequate' by medical authorities between [[1909]] and the 1960s.<ref>[http://www.newsreview.com/issues/sacto/2004-02-19/news.asp NewsReview.com] - 'Darkness on the edge of campus: University’s philanthropic 'godfather’ was mad about eugenics', Chrisanne Beckner, ''[[Sacramento News and Review]]'' (February 19, 2004)</ref><ref>[http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/v-print/story/8363132p-9292886c.html SacBee.com] - 'Curious historical bedfellows: Sac State and its racist benefactor: After receiving honors aplenty from university, C. M. Goethe left most of his big estate to it', Tony Platt, ''[[The Sacramento Bee]]'' (February 29, 2004)</ref> Upon return from a trip to Germany [[1934]], which at the time was sterilizing over 5,000 citizens per month, Goethe reportedly told a fellow eugenicist, "You will be interested to know that your work has played a powerful part in shaping the opinions of the group of intellectuals who are behind Hitler in this epoch-making program. Everywhere I sensed that their opinions have been tremendously stimulated by American thought...I want you, my dear friend, to carry this thought with you for the rest of your life, that you have really jolted into action a great government of 60 million people."<ref>[http://www.newsreview.com/issues/sacto/2004-02-19/news.asp NewsReview.com] - 'Darkness on the edge of campus: University’s philanthropic 'godfather’ was mad about eugenics', Chrisanne Beckner, ''[[Sacramento News and Review]]'' (February 19, 2004)</ref> The Nazi eugenics movement eventually escalated to become [[The Holocaust]], which claimed the lives of well over 10 million 'undesirables', including 6 million Jews. In Sacramento, during Goethe’s life, the advocacy of [[eugenics]] -the social [[philosophy]] of attempting to 'improve' the human population by [[artificial selection]] - was considered a [[progressivism|progressive]] issue. Though it was opposed by many scientists who thought the understanding of human heredity was too shallow to create solid policy, and by religious leaders who opposed birth control of any form, in the years after the Holocaust it was not considered to be as radical as it is today.<ref>[http://www.newsreview.com/issues/sacto/2004-02-19/news.asp NewsReview.com] - 'Darkness on the edge of campus: University’s philanthropic 'godfather’ was mad about eugenics', Chrisanne Beckner, ''[[Sacramento News and Review]]'' (February 19, 2004)</ref> Around 20,000 patients in California State [[psychiatric hospital]] were sterilized with minimal or non-existent [[consent]] given between [[1909]] and [[1950]], when the law went into general disuse before its repeal in the 1960s. A favorable report by [[Human Betterment Foundation]] workers [[E.S. Gosney]] and [[Paul B. Popenoe]], touting the results of the sterilizations in California, was published in the late 1920s, which in turn was often cited by the Nazi government as evidence wide-reaching sterilization programs were feasible and [[humane]].<ref>[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/11/09/ING9C2QSKB1.DTL SFGate.com] - 'Eugenics and the Nazis -- the California connection', Edwin Black, [[San Francisco Chronicle]] (November 9, 2003)</ref> When Nazi administrators went on trial for [[war crime]]s in [[Nuremberg]] after World War II, they justified their mass-sterilizations by pointing at the [[United States]] as their inspiration. CSUS attempted to name a new [[science]] building after him in [[1965]], but that effort was rebuffed by students and teachers.<ref>[http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/v-print/story/8363132p-9292886c.html SacBee.com] - 'Curious historical bedfellows: Sac State and its racist benefactor: After receiving honors aplenty from university, C. M. Goethe left most of his big estate to it', Tony Platt, ''[[The Sacramento Bee]]'' (February 29, 2004)</ref> Controversy has recently erupted over the naming of the Goethe Arboretum, located on the north end of the University campus. Derek Hamilton, a History student at CSUS, has started an online petition advocating a name change for the arboretum, contending Goethe's [[racist]] views no longer reflect the values of CSUS. Goethe’s own writings, along with a history of eugenics, have been assembled to help the current CSUS community decide what to do in light of his lifelong dedication to eugenics and support of racist causes. Goethe's last recorded donation was to a [[white supremacist]] group. On [[June 21]] [[2007]], the school board of the [[Sacramento City Unified School District]] voted to rename the "Charles M. Goethe Middle School" to the "Rosa Parks Middle School".<ref>[http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=29411 News10.net - Search Results<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> On [[January 29]] [[2008]], the Sacramento Board of Supervisors stripped his name from one of Sacramento County's busiest parks. A new name will be selected later. In the meantime, the park reverts to its name before 1965: American River Parkway, South. <ref>[http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/672624.html News - Goethe name is gone from park - sacbee.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> On [[April 25]] [[2008]], the Sacramento Bee reported that, with a nod from Internet voters and the county parks commission, the park will be renamed River Bend Park. <ref>[http://www.sacbee.com/749/story/890474.html - River Bend favored as new name for Goethe Park - sacbee.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/yosemite_nature_notes/37/37-7.pdf "The World's Largest Summer Camp," ''Yosemite Nature Notes'' 37(7):89-94 (July 1958) by Charles M. Goethe]. Traces the origin of nature guiding in National Parks; reprinted from ''Nature Magazine'' * [http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/yosemite_nature_notes/39/39-7.pdf "Nature Study in National Parks Interpretive Movement," ''Yosemite Nature Notes'' 39(7):156-158 (July 1960) by Charles M. Goethe] * [http://www.newsreview.com/issues/sacto/2004-02-19/news.asp NewsReview.com] - 'Darkness on the edge of campus: University’s philanthropic 'godfather’ was mad about eugenics', Chrisanne Beckner, ''[[Sacramento News and Review]]'' (February 19, 2004) * [http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/v-print/story/8363132p-9292886c.html SacBee.com] - 'Curious historical bedfellows: Sac State and its racist benefactor: After receiving honors aplenty from university, C. M. Goethe left most of his big estate to it', Tony Platt, ''[[The Sacramento Bee]]'' (February 29, 2004) * [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/11/09/ING9C2QSKB1.DTL SFGate.com] - 'Eugenics and the Nazis -- the California connection', Edwin Black, [[San Francisco Chronicle]] (November 9, 2003) * [http://www.statehornet.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/02/04/420428f1f08c3?in_archive=1 StateHornet.com] - 'Online petition seeks to change name of arboretum', David Martin Olson, ''[[State Hornet]]'' (February 4, 2005) * [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-741737,00.html TimesOnline.co.uk] - 'Liberal California confronts years of forced sterilisation', Chris Ayres, ''[[The Sunday Times (UK)|Sunday Times]]'' (July 11, 2003) * Doesn't EXIST - Don't bother following links to SacBee- 'School to erase Goethe name? Staffers say honoring man with racist views insults the students.', Dorothy Korber, "[[The Sacramento Bee]]" (February 15, 2007) * Doesn't EXIST - Don't bother following links to SacBee - 'Ugly side of philanthropist divides (California State University, Sacramento)', Eric Stern, Bee Staff Writer, "[[The Sacramento Bee]]" (March 1, 2007) * Doesn't EXIST - Don't bother following links to SacBee - 'Goethe recalled fondly by some', Eric Stern, Bee Staff Writer, "[[The Sacramento Bee]]" (March 2, 2007) {{DEFAULTSORT:Goethe, Charles}} [[Category:1875 births]] [[Category:1966 deaths]] [[Category:American eugenicists]] [[Category:American philanthropists]] [[Category:People from Sacramento, California]]