C. W. Hume

Major Charles Westley Hume (13 January 1886 – 22 September 1981)^[1] OBE MC BSc was a British animal welfare worker and writer.

Charles Westley Hume OBE
Born	13 January 1886
Died	22 September 1981 (1981-09-23) (aged 95)
Occupation(s)	Animal welfare worker, writer

Biography

Hume graduated in physics from Birkbeck College. He was honorary secretary of the British Science Guild and edited the journal Proceedings of the Physical Society (1919–1940).^[2][3] He served in the Royal Engineers during World War I and the 47th Divisional Signals (Territorial Army) during World War II.^[3]

Hume founded the University of London Animal Welfare Society (ULAWS) in 1926, which later became the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW).^[4] He has also been credited as the first to use the expression "animal welfare".^[4] Through his efforts the first book on the care and management of laboratory animals was published by the UFAW in 1947.^[5][6] Richard P. Haynes has suggested that "Hume should be credited as the father of the animal welfare movement".^[4]

Hume's book Man and Beast (1962) explores the history, law, philosophy and theology underlying cruelty to animals.^[7] A review noted that "these subjects are dealt with objectively and clearly, lightly yet seriously, tactfully yet persistently, especially in the factual and historical aspects."^[7]

In 1956, Hume received the Schweitzer Medal for his contributions to animal welfare.^[8] The Charles Hume Memorial Fund was set up in his honour.^[6]

Selected publications

• Law and Practice: The Rights of Laboratory Animals. In The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory Animals (Edited by Alastair N. Worden, 1947)^[5]
• The Status of Animals in the Christian Religion (1956)^[9]
• Man and Beast (1962)^[7][10]

See also

• UFAW Handbook

References

1. "New General Catalog of Old Books and Authors". authorandbookinfo.com. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
2. "Captain C. W. Hume" (PDF). Nature. 145 (3666): 180. 1940. doi:10.1038/145180b0.
3. "Universities Federation for Animal Welfare: Major C. W. Hume, O.B.E." (PDF). Nature. 207 (4994): 241. 1965. doi:10.1038/207241a0.
4. Haynes, Richard P. (2008). The Roots for the Emerging Science of Animal Welfare in Great Britain. Animal Welfare. Springer. pp. 7–12. ISBN 978-1-4020-8618-2
5. Pitt, Frances (1948). "The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory Animals". Nature. 161 (4096): 664. doi:10.1038/161664b0. S2CID 4104593.
6. "Notes and Comments". Laboratory Animals. 16: 98–104. 1982. doi:10.1258/002367782780908940.
7. Huggett, A. St. G. (1963). "Reviewed Work: Man And Beast by C. W. Hume". The British Medical Journal. 1 (5343): 1469–1470. doi:10.1136/bmj.1.5343.1469-b. S2CID 62715973.
8. Leavitt, Emily Stewart. (1978). Animals and Their Legal Rights: A Survey of American Laws from 1641 to 1978. Animal Welfare Institute. p. 72
9. Bainbridge, Richard (1957). "The Status of Animals in the Christian Religion". Nature. 179 (4567): 935. doi:10.1038/179935c0. S2CID 4272900.
10. Gleason, Sean J; Swanson, Janice C. (1988). An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Materials Concerning the Philosophy of Animal Rights. United States Department of Agriculture.

Further reading

• Michael Balls. (2013). UFAW and Major Charles Hume. Alternatives to Laboratory Animals 41 (6): 82–84.