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Huxley was an English evolutionary biologist, eugenicist and internationalist. He was a proponent of natural selection and a leading figure in mid-twentieth century modern synthesis. He was Secretary of the Zoological Society of London 1935-1942, the first Director of UNESCO, a founding member of the World Wildlife Fund, the President of the British Eugenics Society 1959-1962, and the first President of the British Humanist Association.

He was well known for his presentation of science in books and articles, and on radio and television. He directed an Oscar winning wildlife film. He was awarded UNESCO's Kalinga Prize for the popularisation of science in 1953, the Darwin Medal of the Royal Society in 1956, and the Darwin-Wallace Medal of the Linnaean Society on 1958. He was knighted in 1958. In 1959 he received a Special Award of the Lasker Foundation in the category Planned Parenthood - World Population.

In 1935 Huxley was appointed Secretary to the Zoological Society of London, and spent much of the next seven years running the society and its zoological gardens, London Zoo and Whipsnade Park, alongside his writing and research. Huxley introduced a range of ideas for making the Zoo child friendly. He fenced off the Fellow's Lawn to establish Pets Corner, appointed new assistant curators who he encouraged to talk to children, and he initiated the Zoo Magazine.