Victor Serebriakoff
Encyclopedia
Victor Serebriakoff was one of the early members and a leading light of Mensa
.
Serebriakoff is known for his contributions to lumber technology, writing Intelligence Quotient
(IQ) tests, as well as organising and promoting Mensa
.
After leaving the army in 1947 he worked in the timber industry, becoming known for introducing automatic grading of timber for strength, eventually selling machines world wide. In the 1960s he led a British delegation to a timber metrification conference in the Soviet Union
.
Victor wrote prolifically on the timber trade, Mensa and its history, and educating gifted children. He also wrote puzzle books. Many of his works were translated. He took greatest pride in his book Brain in which he set out a theory of how the brain operates.
Win Rouse, a Lady Almoner
or hospital social work
er, (and ex-Bletchley Park
staff) had helped Victor and Mary during the illness. By coincidence, she was a member of Mensa, having met Victor at meetings. After Mary died, they eventually became a couple and married in October 1953.
Victor's children went to stay with Mary's mother in Southport
for the next 5 years. This allowed Victor, with Win's help, to spend time on Mensa.
Jo Wilson, the then chairman, said "Let's face it, we are no more than a group of friends meeting for dinners" and suggested closing Mensa down. Victor thought that would be a shame, and Jo said, "Well it's up to you then."
Victor became active in promoting Mensa. He and Win evaluated I.Q. tests at their home in Blackheath
, London, and organised the Mensa annual general meeting from there. He was also a principal of the lively Blackheath Poetry Society in the 1950s, and a prolific author of light verse.
Eventually Mensa could support paid staff, leading to National Mensa organisations starting in many countries. Victor often publicised Mensa in the worldwide media through the 1960s, '70s, and '80s. He was often quoted, and one of his more memorable utterings was "being intelligent is no guarantee against being stupid."
Eventually Victor was elected International President of Mensa, an office that he held at his death. In the early 1990s Victor fought prostate cancer
, with various treatments and surgery, but it eventually claimed him. Win died in 1995. He was working on his writing right up to December 1999, managing to finish a revision of his book Brain.
Mensa International
Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test...
.
Serebriakoff is known for his contributions to lumber technology, writing Intelligence Quotient
Intelligence quotient
An intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a score derived from one of several different standardized tests designed to assess intelligence. When modern IQ tests are constructed, the mean score within an age group is set to 100 and the standard deviation to 15...
(IQ) tests, as well as organising and promoting Mensa
Mensa International
Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test...
.
Family background
Victor Serebriakoff was born in Camberwell, London, the eldest son of Vladimir and Ethel Serebriakoff (née Graham). Eventually, the family had five daughters and two sons. Vladimir's father was Esper Serebriakoff, who married Katherine Seitelman. Esper joined the Russian navy in 1870, but left in 1885 after rising to the rank of lieutenant, having become involved in revolutionary politics, leaving Russia in 1888. Esper's father, Alexander, was a lieutenant colonel in the Russian army.Accomplishments
Victor was involved with Mensa and the Mensa Foundation for Gifted Children.After leaving the army in 1947 he worked in the timber industry, becoming known for introducing automatic grading of timber for strength, eventually selling machines world wide. In the 1960s he led a British delegation to a timber metrification conference in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Victor wrote prolifically on the timber trade, Mensa and its history, and educating gifted children. He also wrote puzzle books. Many of his works were translated. He took greatest pride in his book Brain in which he set out a theory of how the brain operates.
Mensa
His first wife, Mary, encouraged Serebriakoff to join Mensa in 1949, when membership was only a few hundred. Initially, he wasn't heavily involved. Victor suffered a bereavement when Mary was found to have tongue cancer. She died in July 1952 after just 3 years of marriage and two children.Win Rouse, a Lady Almoner
Almoner
An almoner is a chaplain or church officer who originally was in charge of distributing cash to the deserving poor.Historically, almoners were Christian religious functionaries whose duty was to distribute alms to the poor. Monasteries were required to spend one tenth of their income in charity to...
or hospital social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
er, (and ex-Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
staff) had helped Victor and Mary during the illness. By coincidence, she was a member of Mensa, having met Victor at meetings. After Mary died, they eventually became a couple and married in October 1953.
Victor's children went to stay with Mary's mother in Southport
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
for the next 5 years. This allowed Victor, with Win's help, to spend time on Mensa.
Jo Wilson, the then chairman, said "Let's face it, we are no more than a group of friends meeting for dinners" and suggested closing Mensa down. Victor thought that would be a shame, and Jo said, "Well it's up to you then."
Victor became active in promoting Mensa. He and Win evaluated I.Q. tests at their home in Blackheath
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
, London, and organised the Mensa annual general meeting from there. He was also a principal of the lively Blackheath Poetry Society in the 1950s, and a prolific author of light verse.
Eventually Mensa could support paid staff, leading to National Mensa organisations starting in many countries. Victor often publicised Mensa in the worldwide media through the 1960s, '70s, and '80s. He was often quoted, and one of his more memorable utterings was "being intelligent is no guarantee against being stupid."
Eventually Victor was elected International President of Mensa, an office that he held at his death. In the early 1990s Victor fought prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
, with various treatments and surgery, but it eventually claimed him. Win died in 1995. He was working on his writing right up to December 1999, managing to finish a revision of his book Brain.