Paul Leland Kirk, a towering figure in the realm of forensic science, was born on May 9, 1902, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. From humble beginnings, he embarked on a journey that would leave an indelible mark on the field of criminology.
Browsing: Forensic Science Legends
Leading forensic science practitioners, iconic figures who have been integral in both establishing current scientific and medicolegal practices and innovative evidence collection, testing, and analysis methods.
Explore the life and achievements of Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, a pioneering geneticist who revolutionized forensic science with his groundbreaking work in genetic fingerprinting and DNA profiling. Learn about his contributions to criminal investigations and paternity testing.
Discover the pioneering work of Alphonse Bertillon, a French police officer and biometrics researcher who revolutionized criminal identification with his innovative techniques. Learn about his anthropometric system, the invention of mug shots, and the controversies surrounding his involvement in the infamous Dreyfus affair. Explore the enduring impact of Bertillon’s contributions on forensic science and modern law enforcement.
Kary Mullis was an American biochemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993 for his invention of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This technique allows for the copying of a specific stretch of DNA billions of times in just a few hours. Mullis was born in Lenoir, North Carolina on December 28, 1944, and passed away on August 7, 2019, in Newport Beach, California.
Mathieu Joseph Bonaventure Orfila (1787–1853) was a Spanish-born scientist who is considered the “father of toxicology”. He established many of the basic principles of modern toxicology, becoming the first person to conduct experiments on the effects of poisons, using dogs and other animals for his research. He also made chemical analysis a routine part of forensic medicine, and helped to develop tests for the presence of blood in a forensic context. Orfila was a prominent member of the Parisian social and intellectual elite, and a regular attendee of salons in the 1820s and 1830s. He was also involved in medical education, and helped to establish hospitals and museums, specialty clinics, botanical gardens, a center for dissection in Clamart, and a new medical school in Tours.
Richard Gunderman, Indiana University A popular pseudoscience was leaving its mark on American culture a century ago in everything from massive reductions in quotas for immigration to the U.S., to thousands of “fitter family” contests at county fairs, to a growing acceptance of birth control by those who thought it could curtail the fertility of “undesirables.” These are just a few examples of the influence of eugenics in the early 20th century. The idea of scientist Francis Galton, eugenics suggested that negative traits could be bred out of the human species by discouraging reproduction by those considered inferior. It laid…
Explore the legacy of Henry Faulds, the pioneer of fingerprint forensics. Learn how his groundbreaking discoveries revolutionized criminal investigations.
Explore the legacy of Edmond Locard, a pioneer in forensic science whose innovations, including the establishment of the first crime lab and the Exchange Principle, transformed modern criminal investigations.
