The Professor

Dr. William Chester Minor was a former U.S. Army surgeon who developed severe paranoia and delusions, believing he was being stalked. In a psychotic episode, he mistakenly killed an innocent civilian named George Merrett, believing him to be his imagined pursuer. During his trial, he was deemed borderline psychotic and sentenced to the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, where he remained institutionalized for years.

Earlier scenes show Minor arriving in the UK already plagued by paranoid beliefs about being hunted.

While confined at Broadmoor, Minor used his education and linguistic skills to submit over 10,000 word entries to the dictionary project. His contributions were significant enough to form a substantial portion of the early dictionary volumes. Dr. Richard Brayne, who oversaw Minor's treatment, recognized his intellectual capabilities and allowed him to continue his work.

Minor's medical background and education are established early, showing his capacity for scholarly work.

When the Oxford Press discovered that one of their most prolific contributors was a convicted murderer institutionalized in a criminal lunacy asylum, they removed Murray from his position as editor and refused to acknowledge Minor's contributions. This scandal devastated both men, though Murray was later reinstated after Churchill intervened.

The film builds tension around the project's credibility and the secretive nature of Minor's background.

After Minor's mental condition deteriorated due to harsh treatments at Broadmoor, Murray and Eliza Merrett advocated for his release. Murray personally appealed to Winston Churchill, who was then a government official. While Churchill could not legally release Minor from the asylum, he agreed to deport Minor back to the United States instead of keeping him institutionalized in the UK.

The film establishes Churchill as a figure with political influence who understands the value of Minor's work.

Dr. Minor felt deep guilt for murdering George Merrett, an innocent man. When he learned that Eliza had been left destitute and was forced into prostitution to survive, he wanted to atone for his crime by providing financial support. He also mentored her and her children, hoping to give them a better future as a form of penance.

The film introduces Eliza's desperate situation early, setting up the later connection to Minor.

Sir James Murray died in 1915 while the dictionary was still incomplete. However, his decades of work laid the foundation for its eventual completion. The monumental project was finished posthumously in 1928, resulting in 12 volumes containing 414,825 words and 1,827,306 illustrative quotations. Murray was knighted in 1908 for his contributions.

The film shows Murray working tirelessly until his final days, emphasizing his lifelong dedication.

Murray's innovative approach to compiling the dictionary involved making a public appeal for contributions from everyday language users across the UK and its colonies. Minor, despite being institutionalized, saw this as an opportunity to contribute and submitted his word entries through the system. Their connection deepened as Murray learned about Minor's story and the quality of his work, eventually leading to a personal friendship.

Murray's appeal to the public is shown early, establishing how inmates could participate.

Murray faced significant criticism from academic peers like Philip Lyttelton Gell, who scrutinized his progress and questioned his credentials. Critics pointed out missing common words in early volumes, creating tension around the project's legitimacy. Frederick Furnivall took blame for some omissions to protect Murray's job, eventually resigning to preserve the project's continuation.

Early scenes show peer skepticism about Murray's qualifications for the monumental task.

After being deported from the UK, Minor returned to the United States where he lived with his diagnosis of schizophrenia. He continued to struggle with mental illness until his death in 1920 in Washington, D.C. Despite his tragic personal circumstances, his contributions to the dictionary remained as a lasting legacy of his intellectual capabilities.

The film shows Minor's mental decline under harsh asylum treatments before his release.

Ada Murray was initially frustrated by her husband's decision to devote seven years to the dictionary project, as it meant significant personal sacrifice for the family. However, she eventually supported his vision and even took it upon herself to bridge the connection between Murray and Minor, visiting the asylum and advocating for Minor's humane treatment.

Ada's frustration is shown early, but her compassion for Minor reveals her deeper character.