James Watson, Co-Discoverer of DNA’s Structure, Dead at Age 97

James Watson, Who Helped Discover the Structure of DNA, Is Dead at Age 97

James Watson in his office at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on June 10, 2015.

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

Watson was author of several books, including The Double Helix and .

His legacy was complicated by repeated racist remarks that linked race and intelligence. Those statements led to his resignation from Cold Spring Harbor in 2007.

David M. Ewalt is editor in chief of Scientific American.

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you , you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, , must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world’s best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American