April, July, and Will Be Special Interest at the 1989 Congress in the Newest Volume of Osiris, October
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ISSN 0739-4934 NEWSLETTER I IISTORY OFSOENCE .~.o.hlL.M.~E.gs.~g-NUM-·B·ER-2------L--__SQCJETY LETTER FROM HSS EXECUTIVE THE PRESIDENT COMMITI'EE PRESIDENT MARYJONYE MARY JO NYE, University of Oklahoma VICE-PRESIDENT STEPHEN G. BRUSH, University of Maryland EXEClnlVESECRETARY MICHAEL M. SOKAL, Worcester The year 1989 marks an important transition for the History of Science Society Polytechnic Institute as we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Society's founding. One aspect of TREASURER this transition is the appearance of the March issue of Isis under the editorship MARY WUISE GLEASON, New York City of Ronald L. Numbers. He succeeds Charles Rosenberg, who has given splendid EDITOR leadership to our flagship journal during the past three years. RONALD L. NUMBERS, University of This also is a year in which the fifth volume of the new Osiris will be pub- Wisconsin-Madison ""-"'lished, just in time for sale or subscription at the International Congress in Hamburg and Munich. It was at the last International Congress, in Berkeley, that the first volume of the new Osiris was launched under the editorship of Arnold Thackray, and since then institutional and individual subscriptions have The Newsletter of the History of Science reached approximately 1,800, an excellent start for a new scholarly serial. There Society is published in January, April, July, and will be special interest at the 1989 Congress in the newest volume of Osiris, October. Regular issues are sent to those indi vidual members of the Society residing in since its theme is Science in Germany: The Intersection of Institutional and Nonh America. Airmail copies are sent to those Intellectual Issues. The guest editor for this volume is Kathryn M. Olesko. members overseas who pay $5 yearly to cover Reflecting on the state of the Society in 1989, we can take pride in our publi postal costs. The Newsletter is available to non members and institutions for $20 a year. cations and in our expanded programs and responsibilities. We have in place The Newsletter is overseen by a Steering specially designated grants and gifts for many of the programs, publications, and Committee consisting of the President, the awards of the Society. We have otir own History of Science Society Publications Executive Secretary, and the Editor of the His tory of Science Society. It is edited by the Execu Office and an Executive Secretary whose professional attention is devoted at tiVI: Secretary, Dr. Michael Sokal, and is least half-time to the Society. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity and com produced at the Society's Publications Office mitment of the late Bern Dibner, and thanks to the strong support of public and under the supervision of Dr. Frances Kohler. Send news items to Newsletter, History of private foundations and our own individual members, our endowment fund will Science Society, c/o Michael Solcal, 35 Dean reach the $1 million mark in 1990. Street, Worcester, MA 01609. The deadline for A major focus of our plans for the future will be joint ventures with other receipt of news is the tenth of the month prior to publication; for articles and other long copy; societies, both at home and abroad. Following our thoroughly successful meet the first of the month. ing at Manchester with the British Society for the History of Science in July 1988, we are beginning to make plans to return the hospitality of our British colleagues in the mid 1990s. In the meantime, planning is well advanced by the HSS Committee on the Quincentennial, chaired by Thomas F. Glick, for a ALSO IN TinS ISSUE meeting in Madrid in the summer of 1991, celebrating the voyages of discovery of 1492. This will be a joint meeting with two other societies: the Sociedad NOMINEES 3 ~paiiol de Historia de las Ciencias and the Sociedad Latinoamericana de Histo REVISIONS 10 STATIJTES 4 ria de las Ciencias y la Thcnologia. HSS TEACHING BOOKLET 12 At home HSS is setting up an ~tersociety committee with the American OSIRIS 5: SCIENCE IN GERMANY 15 Continued on page 2 History ot Science Sodety llnrsletter PRESIDENT'S LE'ITER-continued individual and institutional members of We note with regret the deaths of John G. the Society will want to subscribe to the Association for the History of Medicine, Burke, professor emeritus of history at the CB, even though it will no longer be a the Society for the History of Technology, University of California, Los Angeles, 'and fifth issue of Isis. The CB will appear on the Philosophy of Science Association, treasurer of the History of Science Society the same schedule as previously, and and the Society for the Social Studies of in the early 1970s, on 21 February 1989, subscriptions can be taken for either hard Science to coordinate meetings and other in Los Angeles, and of John U. Nef, former cover or paperback binding. activities in the 1990s. HSS has also just professor of economic history at In 1990 individual members will pay launched a collaborative project with University of Chicago, at age 89, on 25 $40 for membership in the Society, in SHar. SHar was established just over December 1988, in Washington, D.C. cluding the four quarterly issues of Isis, thirty years ago, and Technology and the quarterly Newsletter, and other bene Culture celebrates its thirtieth anniver fits of membership; there will be an addi sary this year. Discussions took place last the Council for the committees' future tional $10 fee for members receiving the spring among the officers and other mem activities and budgetary needs. The evalu CB. Institutional fees will be $99 for basic bers of HSS and SHar about further coop ations of two of the Society's innovative membership including Isis and the News eration between the two societies in order programs-namely, the Visiting Histo letter and $35 for institutional members to advance scholarship, education, and rians of Science program and the program receiving the CB. As in the past, students public interest in the history of science for Independent Scholars-will be com and retired members will have reduced and technology. This seems an especially pleted during 1989. membership fees, and a new rate has been important time for reassessment of the Finally, some of the most important established for family memberships. Both state of our disciplines, following the decisions reached by the Council address individuals and institutions will be offered establishment of the new Studies in Sci the structure of dues and subscriptions for a package including membership (with ence, Thchnology, and Society Program at the Society. The Council has recognized Isis and the Newsletter), the CB, and the National Science Foundation and the for some time that membership dues Osiris at a cost less than the sum of the founding in 1987 of the Dibner Institute would probably need to be raised around separate items. Life members will con for the History of Science and Thchnology, 1990, when specially raised funds that are tinue to receive the CB without additional currently based at Brandeis University. not part of the endowment would be ex charge. The result of last spring's deliberations hausted. Alternatives for a change in dues As we look forward to the next decade, is a plan, already approved by the HSS and have included establishing income-based we anticipate that the combination of the SHar councils, for joint symposia and a dues or an itemized dues-and-subscription new fee structure, the Society's endow jointly published volume on critical prob structure. ment, and continued fund-raising for lems and research frontiers in the history In the last few years it has also been specific programs of the Society will pro of science and technology. The presidents recognized that some changes are in the vide a firm basis for maintaining the range of both societies will soon appoint mem offing for the Critical Bibliography. While of publications, programs, and services we bers and cochairs of a joint committee to the Publications Committee is investigat have been able to build in the last decade. organize symposia to be held in addition ing additional ways of making the Critical The strength of the Society lies in the to regular sessions at the joint meeting of Bibliography available besides its publica diversity and coherence of our intellectual SHar and HSS in Madison, Wisconsin, in tion in print, such as putting it on-line or and professional interests, as well as in 1991. Not coincidentally, Marshall Cla on diskette, these could not be accom our shared concern and fascination with gett's Critical Problems in the History of plished for several years if recommended. the history of science and its place and Science originated at Madison in 1957. Librarians have noted that the four q\IM influence in the world. I close by asking The HSS Newsletter will keep y6u in terly issues of Isis in combination with for your continued support and vigorous formed about the planning of this new the CB have become large for binding as a participation in the activities of the His "Critical Problems'' program, as well as single annual volume. In addition, it has tory of Science Society. about a project leading to an analysis and been of some concern that the CB does statistical study of patterns in training, not reach potential users because it is professional careers, and intellectual catalogued and shelved with journals Related Societies trends in the history of science and tech rather than with reference works. nology. This study is to be edited by P. Thus, in 1990 the Isis Critical Bibliog The Society for the History of Thchnology Thomas Carroll and will complement raphy, edited by John Neu, will be given a will appoint a new secretary to take office the Madison symposia papers and new title, most likely Isis Current Bibliog in January 1990, when Alex Roland will commentaries.