!Story of Science
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ISSN 0739-4934 NEWSLETTER -!STORY OF SCIENCE _Y~ARY-E ~~9-8~-ER ~ ______.SOCIETY THE HSS PUBLICATIONS HSSEXECUTIVE OFFICE COMMITTEE PRESIDENT BUSINESS IS BOOMING at the History of Science Society Publications Office! EDWARD GRANT, Indiana University O~inally responsible for a single journal, Isis, the office now produces three VICE-PRESIDENT pehodicals and a host of single-purpose pamphlets and brochures. The Fund WILLIAM COLEMAN, University of brive has helped make this expansion possible, and the office in turn has helped Wisconsin - Madison expand the membership base and keep necessary records for the Fund Drive. SECRETARY The biggest effort goes into putting out Isis. Membership in the HSS entails a EDITii SYUA, North Carolina State University subscription to Isis, the society's official journal, which appears five times a TREASURER year. The first four issues are devoted to eight types of scholarly material: edito- SPENCER R. WEART, American Institute ~rials and guest editorials; research articles of standard length; critical or syn of Physics ~ic essays on particular subfields; documents and translations; brief research EDTIDR notes and correspondence; ney.rs of the profession; essay reviews; and standard ARNOLD THACKRAY, University of book reviews. The publications staff is responsible for production work on these Pennsylvania four issues each year, from editing of the manuscripts, preparation for the type setter, general proofreading and layout, to final printing: Now that many authors The History of Science Society was founded in 1924 to secure the future of Isis, the interna are submitting articles composed on computer, the staff is also inserting type tional review that George Sarton (1 884- 1956) setting codes for these works, so that they may go directly to the typesetter on had founded in Belgium in 1912. The Society disk. Material compiled in the office, including the Table of Contents and Notes seeks to foster interest in the history of science on' Contributors, routinely goes to the typesetter on disk. The Publications and its social and cultural relations, to provide a forum for discussion, and to promote scholarly Office also oversees production of the fifth issue each year, the Critical Bibliog research in the history of science. The Society raphy, compiled at the University of Wisconsin by John Neu. Isis can run up to pursues these objectives by the publication of 1,000 pages a year, with contributions from over three hundred individuals. its journals Isis and Osiris, by the support and Keeping recordst handling production schedules, generating advertising subvention of other forms of scholarly publica tion, by the organization of annual meetings continued on page 4 and other programs, by the award of medals and prizes for outstanding contributiOBS to the history of science, by the encouragement and .~ . sponsorship of local a.11d regional sections of the SocietJI, and by cooperation with other learned • and scientific societies. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE NEW HSS LECTURERS,.-, 2 COMMITTEE ON MEETINGS QUESTIONNAIRE 3 UNAFFILIATED SCHOLARS GRANTS PROGRAM 5 I Please send news items to the new A selection of materials Secretary, Edith Sylla, at tbe address on produced by the page 16. HSS Publications Office. pate2 History of Sdenc:e Society Newsletter Rachel .Wudan Kenneth Manning Barbara Gutmann Rosenkrantz cation Foundation. The Ford Foundation NEW SPEAKERS JOIN HSS LECTURERS has agreed to support the program for an additional four years. At the end of its first five years, it is hoped that the program The History of Science Society is pleased he is undertaking research on the history will be self-sustaining through support to announce that Rachel Laudan, Kenneth of blacks in American medicine. • Lec from endowment and cost sharing with Manning, and Barbara Rosenkrantz will tures: "Scientific Biography: The Life of the public and private institutions that participate in the Society's new Visiting Ernest Everett Just"; "The Role of Blacks benefit from it. Historians of Science Program in 1986, in American Science and Thchnology." Detailed information concerning each joining the ten lecturers announced in the • Seminar: "Historiography and the of the lecturers for 1986 may be obtained October 1985 Newsletter. For more infor History of Science!' • Dates available: by from Joseph W. Dauben, HSS Coordinator mation on the program, see also the July consultation within three months of the of Programs, Department of History, Her 1985 Newsletter, or contact Joseph expected visit. • Address: Massachusetts bert H. Lehman College, CUNY, Bedford Dauben or Joe D . Burchfield as explained Institute of Technology, Room 14E-310, Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468; -----41 below. Cambridge, MA 02139. • Telephone: telephone (212)960-8285 or 8289, or (212) (617) 253-4805. 790-4606 or 4621. Any institution or RACHEL LAUDAN is Associate Professor organization wishing to engage a lecturer of the History of Science and Technology BARBARA GUTMANN ROSENKRANTZ in 1986 is invited to contact either the in the Science Studies Center at Virginia is Professor of History of Science at Har individual speaker, Joseph Dauben, or Joe Thch. She has published extensively on vard University and a member of the D. Burchfield, Chairman, National Com- the history of geology from the eighteenth Faculties of Arts and Sciences and of Pub mittee, HSS Visiting Historians of Science century to the present and is editor of The lic Health. Her works include Public Program, Department of History, North- Nature of Technological Knowledge: Are Health and the State and American em Illinois University, DeKalb, IT... 60115; Models of Scientific Change Relevant! Her Habitat: A Historical Perspective. She was telephone (815) 753-0131 or 0672. current research is on the image of science a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century in the Behavioral Sciences in 1983-1984 histories of science. • Lectures: "On the and a Fulton Fellow in the History of Rocks: The Foundation of Geology"; "The Medicine at the Yale University Medical Fund Drive Update Functions of History of Science!' • Semi School in 1985. • Lectures: "The Con nars: topics to be tailored to the interests quest of the Great White Plague" (illus Response has been gratifying to the Fund of those who will attend. • Dates avail trated with slides); "Healthy, Wealthy and Drive appeal sent to members of the Soci able: by consultation within six months Wise: Private Foundations and Public ety with their renewal notices. As we go of the expected visit. Preference for the Health in America!' • Seminars: "Why to press, over 100 members have contrib eastern half of the United States. • Ad Mimi? The Female Consumptive"; "Fear uted this year to the Fund Drive. dress: Science Studies Center, Virginia of Bacteriomania Circa 1900!' • Dates Have you renewed your membership Polytechnic Institute and State University, available: by consultation within six yet? If not, consider adding a voluntary Blacksburg, VA 24061. • Telephone: contribution to your regular renewal. Even (703)961-7687. months of the expected visit. • Address: Department of History of Science, Science if you have already renewed, you can still help the Society strengthen its programs KENNETH MANNING is Professor of the Center 235, Harvard University, Cam with a donation to the Fund Drive. "Hi_story of Science at MIT. He received his bridge, MA 02138. • Telephone: (617) Send your contributions to History of Ph:D:-from Harvard University in 1974 495-3741. Science Society Membership Office, 215 with a dissertation on the history of math South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA ematics and rec'e~on the History of The first year of the HSS Visiting Histo 19104-6310. Science Society's Pfizer Award for his rians of Science Program has been funded book Black Apollo oi Science. Currendy through the generosity of the Exxon Edu- January 1986 page3 How would you alter the following aspects of the current meeting 'IO ALL HSS MEMBERS pattern if you could? From the Committee on Meetings &. Programs The frequency of fall meetings (on university campuses or in small cities) as a single society or with SHOT (now one year in four): At its meeting in Bloomington, the Committee on Meetings and Programs discussed, once again, the desirability of meeting with increase decrease leave as is the AHA, with the AAAS, and with SHOT, APS, and 4-S in four The frequency of fall four-society meetings (now one year in four): society meetings. Our current policy is to meet with the AHA in increase decrease leave as is alternate years, in the four-society format once every four years, and by ourselves (or with SHOT) once every four years. This policy The frequency of Christmas meetings with AHA (now two years has, however, not been strictly observed over the past few years. in four): We have just had a single society meeting; in 1986 we will meet in increase decrease leave as is the four-society format in Pittsburgh; in 1987 we will meet with SHOT in Raleigh, NC; and in 1988 we will probably meet with the Return to an arrangement whereby we meet occasionally in AHA in a city to be determined. February with AAAS: We ask you to take a few minutes to fill out this questionnaire, yes no so that the Committee can take into account the sentiments of Have two meetings annually, e.g., one with AHA or AAAS, the society members in its recommendations to the Council. other as a single society lor with SHOT) on university campuses or in small cities: