Major Charles Westley Hume (13 January 1886 – 22 September 1981)

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

MC BSc was a British

animal welfare Animal welfare is the quality of life and overall well-being of animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures ...

worker and writer. He was the founder of the University of London Animal Welfare Society (ULAWS).

Biography

Hume graduated in physics from

Birkbeck College Birkbeck, University of London (formally Birkbeck College, University of London), is a public research university located in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. Established in 1823 as the London Mechanics' ...

. He was honorary secretary of the British Science Guild and edited the journal ''

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'' (1919–1940). He served in the

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during

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and the 47th Divisional Signals (Territorial Army) during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Hume founded the University of London Animal Welfare Society (ULAWS) in 1926, which later became the

Universities Federation for Animal Welfare The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) is an animal welfare science society. It is a UK-registered scientific and educational charity. UFAW works to improve animals' lives by promoting and supporting developments in the science ...

(UFAW).Haynes, Richard P. (2008). ''The Roots for the Emerging Science of Animal Welfare in Great Britain''. ''Animal Welfare''. Springer. pp. 7–12. He has also been credited as the first to use the expression "animal welfare". Through his efforts the

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on the care and management of laboratory animals was published by the UFAW in 1947. Richard P. Haynes has suggested that "Hume should be credited as the father of the animal welfare movement". Hume's book ''Man and Beast'' (1962) explores the history, law, philosophy and theology underlying cruelty to animals. 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." In 1956, Hume received the Schweitzer Medal for his contributions to animal welfare. The Charles Hume Memorial Fund was set up in his honour.

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) *''The Status of Animals in the Christian Religion'' (1956) *''Man and Beast'' (1962)Gleason, Sean J; Swanson, Janice C. (1988)
''An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Materials Concerning the Philosophy of Animal Rights''
United States Department of Agriculture.

Biography

Selected publications

See also

References

Further reading