Young Alan Turing was told by his science teacher he would never amount to anything with his 'vague ideas', report card reveals
A young Alan Turing was told by his science teacher that he would never amount to anything with his "vague ideas", a school report card which has gone on display for the first time reveals.
The celebrated codebreaker and father of modern computing received a slightly better review from his maths teacher, who said that while he lacked the ability to display his ideas on paper he showed a "distinct promise" in the subject.
The document is part of a new exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, titled Codebreakers and Groundbreakers which is made up of pieces usually housed inside the Turing Archive at Kings College Cambridge.
In the 1929 summer term report card from Sherborne School in Dorset, Turing's physics teacher writes: "He has done some good work but generally sets it down badly.
"He must remember that Cambridge will want sound knowledge rather than vague ideas."
Other teachers scolded his presentation style and his mathematics tutor said Turing appeared to lack the ability to put a "neat and tidy solution" on paper.
The report reads: "His work on Higher Certificate papers shows distinct promise, but he must realise that ability to put a neat & tidy solution on paper – intelligible and legible – is necessary for a first-rate mathematician."
His house master also reflected on the Turing's timidity and said: "I am quite satisfied with him and am very glad he is ready to come out of his shell."
Also on display is a science book which Turing chose in honour of his close friend Christopher Morcom, often described as Turing's first love.
After Morcom's death aged 18, his parents established the 'Christopher Morcom Science Prize' at Sherborne. Turing was the first recipient, winning with an experiment Morcom had introduced him to - the 'iodine clock reaction'. As his prize, Turing chose the book Mathematical Recreations and Essays by W. W. Rouse Ball, a fellow at Trinity College, where Morcom was to attend.
Letters Turing sent to his mother from WW2 code breaking centre Bletchley Park and a teaspoon taken from his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, by his mother after his death by cyanide poisoning in 1954 are also on display.
In her labelling of the spoon Sara Turing wrote: "This is the spoon which I found in Alan's laboratory.
"It is similar to the one which he gold-plated himself.
"It seems quite probable that he was intending to gold plate this one using cyanide of potassium of his own manufacture."
Turing's groundbreaking work cracked the Enigma encryption used by the Nazis and helped win WWII for the allies.
Coding devices, including one used by British codebreakers to exchange secret messages at the highest level is also included in the exhibition, after the museum was granted special permission by GCHQ.
A spokesperson said: "We are pleased to be loaning two World War II coding devices rarely made available for public viewing."
The exhibition runs from tomorrow [TUES] until February 4 next year.
