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John Danz Lectures, University of Washington, Seattle

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Correspondence regarding the John Danz Lectures, delivered as three lectures at the University of Washington, Seattle, on 24 February, 1 March and 3 March, 1966.

Their general title ("Is Vitalism Dead?") was revised upon publication, becoming Of Molecules and Men (1966).

Crick's Danz Lectures were originally scheduled to be delivered in the University Presbyterian Church. The venue was changed to the Roosevelt High School Auditorium in North Seattle on receipt of Crick's letter of 14 December, 1965, which included the following paragraph:

"The lectures will be concerned with the impact of biological ideas, both present and future, on our concept of the world. They will not be militantly anti-Christian, but nevertheless will be directed against the sort of ideas at present held by many religious people. You may not know that I am an atheist and a few years ago resigned my Fellowship at Churchill College because they threatened to build a College Chapel. I myself have not the slightest objection to lecturing in the Presbyterian Church, but I think the Church Authorities might conceivably not be too keen that their building should be used for what they might regard as anti-Christian propaganda."

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John Danz Lectures, University of Washington, Seattle

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