Alan Turing’s generous nature

Welcome to Computer Science 25th November 2019

Alan Turing is known as a true pioneer of computer science. He’s even regarded by some as the father of both this discipline and artificial intelligence. Perhaps less well known, however, is Turing’s generous nature.

A lot has been written about Turing – not least his work at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. This helped bring the conflict to a speedier end, saving millions of lives in the process. His work on theoretical computer science – including that performed here at The University of Manchester – is also well documented. His philanthropy, however, is not as widely discussed.

But there are many examples to be found. Just prior to the outbreak of World War II, for instance, he began sponsoring a young Austrian Jewish child who came to Britain fleeing Nazi oppression, while he also regularly sent money to a woman volunteering in Africa.

To discover more about this side of Turing’s character, the Faculty of Science and Engineering’s blog The Hub spoke to his nephew Dermot Turing, who explained how his uncle would use what little financial means he had to help others.

Read the full story on The Hub.