A facility to promote the teachings of creation science. The Creation Science Research Center was founded in 1970 by Nell Seagraves, her son Kelly Seagraves, and Henry Morris as a division of Christian Heritage College, the independent fundamentalist school associated with Scott Memorial Baptist Church, San Diego, California. Shortly after the founding of the center, differences developed between the Seagraves and Morris: Morris, the center’s director, wanted it to focus on education and scholarship; the Seagraves pushed for more promotional activity. The issue came to a head when the Seagraves approved the publication of some material that Morris viewed as sloppy and too expensive. The Seagraves and a majority of the center’s board withdrew, severed their connection with the college, and reorganized in other facilities. Morris reorganized those who supported him as the Institute for Creation Science.
The center’s subsequent direction proved too marginal even for the many supporters of creation science, and during the next few years support dropped. Kelly Seagraves wrote a book, Sons of God Return (1975), which linked ufology, Flood geology, and demonism. The center has developed the argument that evolution is essentially equivalent to a religious worldview and that it is illegal to teach it exclusively in the public schools. To do so amounts to having a public establishment of religion. The center continues to exist but has slowly ceased to be a force within the larger national creationist movement.