Victor Serebriakoff

Victor Serebriakoff (17 October 1912 - 1 January 2000) was one of the early members and a leading light of Mensa.

Serebriakoff is known for his contributions to lumber technology, authoring Intelligence Quotient (IQ) tests, as well as organising and promoting Mensa.

Family background

Victor Serebriakoff was the son of Vladimir and Ethel Serebriakoff (née Graham) [ [http://freespace.virgin.net/m.serebriakoff/index.htm Mark Serebriakoffs' home page] ] . Eventually, the family had five daughters and two sons. Vladimirs' father was Esper Serebriakoff, who married Katherine Seitelman. Esper joined the Russian navy in 1872, but left in 1885 after rising to the rank of lieutenant, leaving Russia in 1888. His 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.

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.

Victor's Life in Mensa

His first wife, Mary, encouraged Victor joined Mensa in 1949, when membership was only a few hundred [ [http://freespace.virgin.net/m.serebriakoff/victor_serebriakoff___17.htm Victor Serebriakoff page on Mark Serebriakoffs' site] ] . Initially, he wasn't heavily involved. Victor suffered a bereavement when Mary was diagnosed with tongue cancer. She died in July 1952 after just 3 years of marriage and two children.

Win Rouse, a Lady Almoner or hospital social worker, 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 "Lets 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 quite active in promoting Mensa. He and Wyn evaluated I.Q. tests at home, and organised the Mensa Annual General Meeting from there also.

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.

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. He was working on his writings right up to December 1999, managing to finish a revision of his book "Brain".

Bibliography

* cite book| title = British Sawmill Practice
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* cite book| title = How Intelligent Are You - The Universal IQ
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* cite book| title = Self-Scoring IQ Tests
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* cite book| title = Self-scoring personality tests
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* cite book| title = Brain
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* cite book| title = A Mensa Puzzle Book: 200 Puzzles, Posers and Problems
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* cite book| title = A Second Mensa Puzzle Book
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* cite book| title = The Mammoth Book of Puzzles
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* cite book| title = The Mammoth Book of Astounding Puzzles
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* cite book| title = The Mammoth Book of Mindbending Puzzles
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* cite book| title = Mensa: the society for the highly intelligent
publisher = Constable
location = London
year = 1985
id = ISBN 0812830911
* cite book| title = The Future of Intelligence: Biological and Artificial
publisher = Pantheon
location = New York
year = 1987
id = ISBN 0940813025

Translated

* cite book| title = Testen Sie Ihren IQ
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* cite book| title = A guide to intelligence and personality testing : including actual tests and answers.
publisher = Parthenon Pub. Group
location = NJ
year = 1988
id =

References