LEGGEN, JENARR — ...His contributions to meteorology, however, although considerable, pale before what has ever since been known as the Leggen Controversy. That his actions helped to place Hari Seldon in jeopardy is undisputable, but argument rages-and has always raged--as to whether those actions were the result of unintentional circumstance or part of a deliberate conspiracy. Passions have been raised on both sides and even the most elaborate studies have come to no definite conclusions. Nevertheless, the suspicions that were raised helped poison Leggen's career and private life in the years that followed… (Prelude to Foundation)...
Jennar Leggen is a character in Isaac Asimov's Foundation series.
About Jenarr[]
Dr. Jenarr Leggen was a prominent meteorologist and senior researcher at Streeling University on Trantor during the reign of Emperor Cleon I. Specializing in atmospheric studies, he regularly conducted expeditions to Trantor's Upper Edge to collect meteorological data, often accompanied by his team of assistants, including his student Clowzia.
Leggen was recommended to Hari Seldon by Lisung Randa, a hoparian psychology professor at Streeling University and nephew of the famous Hoparian mathematician Kiangtow Randa. Lisung described Leggen as a leading expert on Trantor’s atmospheric dynamics, though he noted Leggen’s singular focus on science over politics.
During the expedition to the Upper Edge, Leggen led the team that Seldon joined to study weather patterns. On this trip, his assistant Clowzia briefly guided Seldon and explained the team’s research methods. A suspicious meteorological reactor appeared abruptly, triggering a violent storm that stranded Seldon on the Upper Edge. Leggen and his team retreated to safety, assuming Seldon had perished.
After Seldon's rescue, Dors Venabili confronted Leggen to investigate the reactor incident. He initially refused to cooperate, citing academic privilege and dismissing Dors’s concerns. He relented only after Dors enlisted Rogen Benastra, Head of Streeling University's Seismology Department, to intervene. Benastra's authority compelled Leggen to provide details about the reactor's possible origins, identifying four sectors, Hestelonia, Wye, Ziggoreth, and North Damiano, as likely sources, emphasizing that such technology was common across Trantor's meteorological stations.
Leggen was an apolitical figure focused solely on science, showing little interest in Imperial politics and dedicating himself entirely to his research. He interpreted the reactor incident as a technical failure rather than a targeted attack. Though initially resistant to Dors' investigation, he cooperated when pressured by institutional authority, representing the bureaucratic indifference pervasive in Imperial institutions.
His actions inadvertently exposed the political tensions simmering beneath Trantor's surface. His testimony helped Dors and Chetter Hummin narrow their investigation into the assassination attempt on Seldon, revealing the involvement of sectors like Wye in anti-Imperial conspiracies. Though a minor character, Leggen exemplified the conflict between scientific neutrality and political reality in a decaying Empire.
Appearances[]