Huxley was an important public figure. When he was young there were virtually no degrees in British universities in biology, and few courses. Most biologists of his day were either self-taught, or took medical degrees. By the time he retired there were professors in biology in most universities, and a broad agreement on what should be taught. Huxley was the single most influential person in this transformation. Huxley was for about thirty years evolution's most effective champion. For some, Huxley was ""the" leading English spokesman for science in the nineteenth century".