Scientists for Segregation: Ernest van den Haag
Summary
This episode investigates the hidden biography of Ernest van den Haag, a prominent death penalty advocate and Pioneer Fund scientist whose obituary omitted his Jewish heritage and communist past. The host reveals that van den Haag was actually born in Berlin to Jewish parents, was imprisoned in Italy for anti-fascist activities, and later worked for the U.S. Office of War Information. The narrative explores his ideological shift to anti-communism and his role in using pseudoscience to defend segregation and oppose civil rights, highlighting the contradictions in his public persona.
Topics discussed
Intro and Foresight Sports ad
Ernest van den Haag's obituary and William F. Buckley's account
Show premise and the decision to investigate van den Haag
Initial research: missing details in the obituary
Pioneer Fund connections and eulogies from right-wing publications
Debunking the Sephardic heritage claim
Genealogical evidence: Born in Berlin, not the Netherlands
Family history: The Malamersons in Italy and the ceramics factory
Imprisonment in Italy: Communist vs. Jewish persecution
Italian sources confirming communist organizing and arrest
Timeline of imprisonment and escape to France
Life in France and arrival in the United States
Language training and government intelligence work
Sponsor reads: What Happened to Her and Roland Martin
Office of War Information work and name change
Shift from anti-fascist to anti-communist ideology
Comparison with Sidney Hook and CIA funding
Van den Haag's diverse academic titles and psychoanalysis practice
Dissertation on universities as creditors and market-based education
Fortune magazine praise and 'Education as an Industry' book
Sponsor reads and racial discrimination in the book
Book on Jewish identity and Anatoly Broyard's review
Critique of the book's portrayal of Jewish identity
Political contradictions and the role of anti-communism
Crank theories on the origin of anti-Semitism
Transition to death penalty advocacy and Heritage Foundation
Views on academic freedom and censorship of communists
Evolution of his stance on academic freedom over 40 years
Defense of Pioneer Fund funding and Linda Gottfredson
Defense of J. Philippe Rushton and skull/penis studies
Critique of Rushton's methodology and Canadian laws
Reflections on scientific racism and 'honest bigots'
Why scientific racism is scary and the subreddit community
Outro and iHeart Podcast branding
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