| Authorised form of name | Watson; James Dewey (1928-2025); molecular biologist and geneticist |
| Dates | 1928-2025 |
| Nationality | American |
| Place of birth | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Date of birth | 06 April 1928 |
| Place of death | Hospice on Long Island, New York State, USA |
| Date of death | 6 November 2025 |
| Occupation | Molecular biologist and geneticist |
| Research field | Genetics |
| Molecular Biology |
| Biochemistry |
| Activity | Education:
Horace Mann Grammar School; South Shore High School; BSc. Zoology University of Chicago, USA, (1943-1947); Fellowship for graduate study at Indiana University, Bloomington, USA, Ph.D for Zoology 1950; National Research Fellowship in Copenhagen; National Fouindtion for Infantile Paralysis Fellowship at the University of Cambridge, England.
Career:
Influenced whilst at Indiana by geneticists J Muller, T M Somerton and especially S E Luria, who was his tutor; met Maurice Wilkins at a symposium in Naples, and saw the x-ray pattern of crystalline DNA for the first time (1951) Luria arranged for him to work with John Kendrew at the MRC Unit in the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, England (1952-1956) where he collaborated with Francis Crick in solving the common structure of DNA (1953) for which he received his Nobel Prize jointly with Crick and Wilkins (1962); joined the Biology Department at Harvard, investigating the role of RNA in protein synthesis (1956); became Director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, USA (1968-2007); President (from 1993); First Director of the National Center for Human Genome Research of the National Institute of Health (1989-1992); Chancellor, Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory; died following a short illness.
Medals and prizes:
Nobel Prize (Physiology or Medicine) 1962
Honours:
Honorary KBE 2002
Member of the National Academy of Sciences; Recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom; National Medal of Science; Othmer Gold Medal (2005) from the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) to honour oputstanding individuals who have made multifaceted contributions to our chemicl and scientific heritage through outstanding activity in such areas as innovation, entrepreneurship, research, education, public understanding, legislation or philanthropy; President Ford Medal of Freedom (1977); the National Medal of Science (1997); Philadelphia Liberty Medal (2000); elected to the National Academy of Sciences (1962); presented the Harry Mullin, MD Memorial Lecture on 17 November 2005 at the University of Scranton 'Living with DNA'. |
| Membership category | Foreign Member |
| Date of election | 09/04/1981 |
| Age at election | 53 |
| RSActivity | Medals and prizes:
Copley Medal 1993 |
| Relationships | Parents: Jean (née Mitchell) and James D. Watson, businessman descended mostly from colonial English immigrants to America.
Spouse: (m. 1968) Elizabeth Watson (1968-2025)
Children: Rufus (b. 1970) and Duncan (b. 1972). |
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| OtherInfo | Revolutionised the field of biochemistry through his 1953 co-discovery of the structure of DNA, the molecule that underlies the development and functioning of all life.
His research answered one of the fundamental questions in genetics: by understanding the double helix structure of DNA, scientists were able to demonstrate how DNA is involved in cell division and in maintaining genetic characteristics. In turn, James's discovery led to a greater understanding of how genes replicate, mutate and are expressed and is regarded as a major turning point in science.
His later comments on genetics and racist remarks tarnished his reputation, ostracising him from the scientific establishment.
Auctioned off his Nobel Prize medal at Christie's in 2014, and made history as the first time a Nobel Prize was sold by a living Nobel laureate. The award was purchased by Russian billionaire, Alisher Usmanov, who returned it to Watson. |
| Source | References:
R Holliday, 'The early years of molecular biology: personal recollections' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 195-208
Anne Cooke, 'Shedding light on the enigmatic Rosalind Franklin. Rosalind Franklin - the dark lady of DNA, by B Maddox' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 239-243
F Lambert, 'News of the Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 265-266
R A Crowther, 'Viruses and the development of quantitative biological electron microscopy' in NR 2004 vol 58 pp 65-81
Mariana Cook 'Faces of Science' 2005 pp 160-161 Photograph and account of why he became a scientist
James D Watson 'Avoid boring people: lessons from a life in science' (2007)
The Royal Society Fellows Directory, Dr James Watson FRS, [URL: https://royalsociety.org/people/james-watson-12494/; last accessed: 17/12/2025]
BBC News, Science and Environment, James Watson: Controversial discoverer of 'the secret of life', [URL: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cyr70zznpjxo; last accessed: 17/12/2025]
The Irish Times, James D Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, dies aged 97, 7 November 2025, [URL: https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/11/07/james-d-watson-co-discoverer-of-the-structure-of-dna-dies-aged-97/; last accessed: 17/12/2025]
James Watson, The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1962., NobelPrize.org. 1964.[URL: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1962/watson/biographical/; last accessed: 17/12/2025] |
| Code | NA4763 |