History of Science Society Newsletter January 2006
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ISSN 0739-4934 Newsletter HISTORY OF SCIENCE VOLUME 35 NUMBER 1 January 2006 SOCIETY WHAT IS TO BE DONE? Endowing Our Bibliographies: Campaign to Enter Phase II By Joan Cadden s previous Newsletters have reported, late in hen Lenin posed that ques- 2003 the National Endowment for the tion a little over a century A W Humanities awarded one of its highly coveted Help us complete ago, he was worried about the Challenge Grants to the History of Science Marxist transformation of our Bibliographer Society. This grant established an HSS Russian Social Democracy. Bibliographer’s Fund, designed as an endow- Luckily, the concerns that face ment to secure the future of the Isis Current me as incoming President of the Bibliography and of the Society’s continuing HSS are on a more modest scale. They are, however, the contributions to the on-line HSTM Research kind of challenges that can only be met collectively, Database. In making this award, NEH chal- hence I appeal to the solidarity of the membership in lenged the Society to match its offer (of up to two areas that might be labeled “theory” and “praxis.” $125,000) on a 4-to-1 basis so that, for HSS to Idealism: Contribute Your Ideas to Our receive the grant’s full amount, it has to raise Planning for the Future $500,000 in matching funds. As of the end of Only $375,000 What does HSS do now that it could be doing better? November 2005, over 200 members and friends to go! What do we not do that we would like to be doing? What of the Society, and several family foundations, do we do that has become useless or counterproductive? have contributed ca. $125,000 toward this The Executive Committee is assembling an ad hoc com- match. Although income from these donations mittee, under the leadership of Bruce Hunt, to open up (and from what NEH has paid of its grant to these and other questions. The result is not likely to resem- date) is already providing partial support for ble the Russian Revolution, but we hope that it will give our Bibliographer, HSS must still raise an addi- rise to specific ideas and a renewed sense of direction. The tional $375,000 by NEH’s deadline of July 2008 if it is to with the Society 40 or 50 years ago that had long results of this process will be passed on to Council and receive the full benefit of the award. since faded, and they have welcomed the chance to committees for discussion and (when they meet with favor, Our successes to date derive from the efforts of catch up with the Society’s current programs. energy, and resources) for implementation. Please help. (Continued on page 3) Send your thoughts to Bruce Hunt (bjhunt@ the members of the Council-appointed HSS Dev- mail.utexas.edu) or to me ([email protected]) elopment Committee (whom we acknowledge by and they will be incorporated into the conversation. name at the end of this note) and of the Society’s Contents Materialism: Contribute Your Dollars to Executive Committee. We all owe these individuals News and Inquiries 3 Endow the HSS Bibliographer much for their work on behalf of all of us. Grants, Fellowships, and Prizes 7 The production of the Current Bibliography and its To continue this campaign, the Society is about Jobs 9 incorporation into the on-line database “History of Science to launch Phase II of its effort to fully endow the Awards, Honors, and Appointments 9 Technology and Medicine” are among the most ambitious HSS Bibliographer’s Fund. In doing so, it will both Workspace: Jamil Ragep 10 services HSS offers to its members. Through our NEH grant, continue and expand previous efforts that have met An Appropriate Life: A. I. Sabra 12 we hope to endow the position of Society Bibliographer, with some success. Notes from the Inside: Minneapolis 2005 14 both to insure its future and to free up funds to pursue other For example, HSS officers and Development Call for Papers 15 services and programs (see “Idealism” above). To receive Committee members continue to meet with potential Future Meetings 18 the full $125,000 offered by the NEH, we must raise match- major donors, including some who have had long- Dissertations 19 ing funds on a strict timetable. Please help. standing relationships with the Society, and others Isis Books Received 20 NEH Donors 23 You may donate online by going to http://hssonline.org. who are just now learning about the field, the Society, and the bibliographies. Several even had ties Who has Won the Reingold Prize? 24 History of Science Society Newsletter January 2006 History of Science Society Executive Office University of Oklahoma Postal Address Physical Address PO Box 117360 3310 Turlington Hall Andrew W. Mellon Travel University of Florida University of Florida Fellowship Program Gainesville, FL 32611-7360 Gainesville, FL 32611 Phone: 352-392-1677 Augmented by a recent $300,000 endowment by the Fax: 352-392-2795 Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Travel Fellowship E-mail: [email protected] Program assists scholars outside the central Web site: http://www.hssonline.org/ Oklahoma region to make use of the History of Science Collections. Proposals from scholars at both predoctor- Subscription Inquiries: ISIS and HSS Newsletter al and postdoctoral levels are welcome. Deadlines for Please contact the University of Chicago Press directly, at: applications are October 15 (for research conducted [email protected]; 877-705-1878/877-705-1879 between January 1 and June 30) and February 15 (for (phone/fax), toll free for U.S. and Canada. research conducted between July 1 and December 30), Or write University of Chicago Press, Subscription with decisions announced within one month. Fulfillment Manager, PO Box 37005, Chicago, IL 60637-7363. For information, please contact: The University of Oklahoma Moving? The Andrew W. Mellon Travel Fellowship Program Please notify both the HSS Executive Office and the Bizzell Library University of Chicago Press at the above addresses. 401 West Brooks, Room 521 Norman, OK 73019-0528 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]. HSS Newsletter Editorial Policies, Advertising, and Submissions Application materials and additional information can also be obtained at our Web site: The History of Science Society Newsletter is published in January, April, July, and October, and sent to all individual members of the Society; those libraries.ou.edu/etc/histsci/mellon.asp who reside outside of North America pay an additional $5 annually to cover a portion of airmail charges. The Newsletter is available to nonmembers and institutions for $25 a year. The Newsletter is edited and desktop published in the Executive Office on an Apple system using Microsoft Word and Quark. The format and editorial policies are determined by the Executive Director in consultation with the Committee on Publications and the Society Editor. All advertising copy must be submitted in electronic form. Advertisements are accepted on a space-available basis only, and OSIRIS ADDED AS NEW MEMBER the Society reserves the right not to accept a submission. The rates are as follows: BENEFIT! Full page (9 x 7.5”), $400; Horizontal or Vertical Half page (4.5 x 7.5”), $220; Quarter page (3 x 5”), $110. The deadline for insertion orders and camera-ready copy is six weeks prior to the month of publication (e.g., 20 November for the January Newsletter) and should be sent to the attention of the HSS Executive Beginning in 2006, the History of Science Society will add Office at the above address. The deadline for news, announcements, and job/fel- a new benefit to all memberships: the latest volume of lowship/ prize listings is firm: The first of the month prior to the month of pub- Osiris. Founded in 1936 by George Sarton, and re- lication. Long items (feature stories) should be submitted six weeks prior to the launched by the HSS in 1985, this annual thematic jour- month of publication as e-mail file attachments or on a 3.5” disk (along with a nal highlights recent research on significant themes in hard copy). Please send all material to the attention of Michal Meyer at the HSS address above (e-mail or disk appreciated). the history of science. The paper edition of Osiris, Volume 21, “Historical Perspectives on Science, Technology, and © 2006 by the History of Science Society International Affairs,” will mail late summer 2006. 2 History of Science Society Newsletter January 2006 News and Inquiries at Bielefeld University beginning with the winter semester 2005/2006. This program is offered at the Institute for Science and Technology Studies (IWT) and is carried out in cooperation with the Department of History, Philosophy and Theology and the Department of Sociology of Bielefeld University. http://www.uni-bielefeld.de/iwt/studi- engaenge/hpss/. Help Clemson’s Developing Program in History of Science and Technology Clemson University went through a long struggle to develop revised general education requirements and the History of Science and Technology department now needs to move 3,000 students a year through courses that meet STS requirements. For more information on the developing STS program at Clemson, please see http://www.clem- son.edu/sts. Professor Pam Mack would be interested in any syllabi, case studies, or other material about teaching STS in general education courses. http://people.clem- 2005 HSS Honorees son.edu/~pammack/. From left to right: Duncan Porter (accepting a special cita- Update of Dictionary of Scientific Biography tion on behalf of Frederick Burkhardt), William R. Newman The new DSB has added recent scientists; now it tackles updating old articles.