A fund has been set up in Britain to memorialize Victor Serebriakoff with an annual lecture. The trustees are Victor's son, Mark, Dick Bird, an academic colleague, and Christoper Frost. The following appeal by Chris Frost explains more fully the arrangements for supporting this memorial.
Victor Serebriakoff died on New Years' Day having survived, characteristically, into the year 2000. A few of us feel that Victor, who was such a special friend to all of us, deserves a special remembrance. Although in many peoples' minds Victor was closely identified with Mensa, he was much more than this: his work on neural networks, for example, in his book Brain, published in 1975, and his philosophical speculations on The Future of Intelligence (1987), his support for schools for the gifted child, his contributions to debate and discussion on many issues of our time, all these show the Protean character of this great man.
Victor had no education beyond a few years at secondary school, but had to leave to go to work. He was self-taught, so well so that he became an army instructor during the war. He was an academic manque, and although he could not make his mark in the scholarly world through the traditional path he did it in his own way through his writings, debates and speeches; and it seemed fitting that he should be commemorated by a series of annual lectures, to be delivered in a university setting.
The first of these will be given in January 2001 to commemorate the first anniversary of Victor's death. Full details of this will be sent out shortly. This first Victor Serebriakoff Memorial Lecture has been secured by donations so far, but to continue with the annual series requires your generosity and help.
Please help us to remember the man whom we all remember so well. Send your donation to Victor's son, Mark Serebriakoff, at 42 Lemay Avenue, Grove Park, London SE12 9SU.
Direct money transfers may be made to:
Barclays Bank, Victoria Branch
Sort Code 20 94 48
a/c 40014877 re: Victor Serebriakoff Memorial Fund.Christopher Frost
(The Victor Serebriakoff Memorial Trust.)N.B.: The Victor Serebriakoff Memorial Trust has no connection with Mensa
Created: 15 Jul 00
Revised: