A Cambridge campaign for a commemorative bust to Alan Turing in gaining momentum this term.

So far, at least 117 students and staff  have pledged at least £5 toward the bust, and CUSU have publicly backed the campaign. At present the only memorials to Turing in Cambridge are a black and white photograph in the King’s basement and a computer room.

Turing’s work in computer science played an instrumental role in both modern theory of communication and achieving the outcome of World War II. Following arrest and persecution for homosexuality, however, he took his own life on the June 7th 1954.

The campaign was inspired by a national petition in September, which resulted in a public apology from Gordon Brown. Cambridge campaigners have determined to get 150 students and alumni to pledge before the end of Michaelmas.

Dan Summerbell, a campaign organiser, said the University’s 800th anniversary was an ideal time for the campaign to take place.

“We’re campaigning for the University to match the amount raised by staff and students, which will mean that students’ donations will effectively count for double,” he said.

During World War II Turing played an active role decoding the Enigma cipher machine, a cornerstone of German communications. The ‘Turing Machine’, developed at Cambridge, forms the basis of much of the modern theory of computation, and Turing’s work at Manchester University from 1951 was pivotal in the development of artificial intelligence.

In 1999, Time Magazine named Turing as one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century for his role in the creation of the computer.

Turing was convicted of the then criminal offence of homosexuality, or ‘gross indecency’, in 1952, which resulted in his chemical castration and the cessation of his work in Cryptography. Two years later he took his own life through cyanide poisoning.

Summerbell was keen to stress that the campaign was not accusatory towards the University. “There are a number of reasons why Turing hasn’t been officially recognised yet,” he said. “The circumstances surrounding his death are only part of that, although the campaign is closely associated with LGBT.

“Much of Turing’s work was highly classified wartime intelligence, and the significance of a great deal hasn’t been recognised until recently, because of modern computing developments.”

To get involved in the campaign by making a donation, students can visit www.pledgebank.com/alanturingbust.