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Science Service and the Origins of Science Journalism, 1919-1950 Cynthia Denise Bennet Iowa State University

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Science Service and the Origins of Science Journalism, 1919-1950 Cynthia Denise Bennet Iowa State University Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Graduate Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2013 Science Service and the origins of science journalism, 1919-1950 Cynthia Denise Bennet Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd Part of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Journalism Studies Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Bennet, Cynthia Denise, "Science Service and the origins of science journalism, 1919-1950" (2013). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 13079. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/13079 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Science Service and the origins of science journalism, 1919-1950 by Cynthia D. Bennet A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPY Major: History of Technology and Science Program of Study Committee: Amy Sue Bix, Major Professor James T. Andrews David B. Wilson Charles Dobbs Pamela Riney-Kehrberg Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2013 Copyright © Cynthia D. Bennet, 2013. All rights reserved. ii DEDICATION For my husband Greg—this wouldn't mean anything without you, and for Cosette, Willie, and the rest iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS……………………………………………………...….……iv LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………….……...…………….vi ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………….............vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………..1 CHAPTER 2 POPULARIZATION………………………………….……..…………….....….13 CHAPTER 3 INSTITUTIONAL HISTORY…………………………………….……….….....37 CHAPTER 4 MECHANISMS OF IMPACT………………………………………………….108 CHAPTER 5 PROFESSIONAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT…………………………….......…181 CHAPTER 6 1920s CASE STUDIES……………………………….…………………......…225 CHAPTER 7 1930s CASE STUDIES………………………………………………….......…275 CHAPTER 8 1940s CASE STUDIES…………………………..……………….……....……315 CONCLUSION……………………………………………….…………….…..……..362 WORKS CITED………………………………………………………………..….….378 ABOUT THE AUTHOR...............................................................................................476 iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many people end up supporting, in some form or another, a person working on a dissertation. I want to take this opportunity to thank the people who supported me in this process. My thanks to the members of my dissertation committee for their time and advice— particularly my major professor Amy Bix for all her support and work on my behalf, and the rest of my committee, James T. Andrews, David B. Wilson, Charles Dobbs, and Pamela Riney-Kehrberg. So many thanks to my mentor and friend, Emeritus Professor Dorothy Schwieder, for her faith in me, the solid advice, thoughtful questions, laughs at lunch, encouraging phone conversations, and for making herself available to me even as she faced her own substantial challenges. I could not have completed this without her. Many warm and heartfelt thanks to Art Molella, Director of the National Museum of American History's Lemelson Center at the Smithsonian Institution, for sharing his time, advice, support, wisdom and enthusiasm for my topic from the beginning. He helped me wade through my many ideas to arrive at a focus. My thanks to the staff at the Smithsonian Institution Archives in Washington, DC, for their assistance. Much appreciation to my first college instructors—Rosemarie Kaffenberger, Michael Moorhead, Glenn Clayton, and Mary Forrest—who made the community college experience so positive, talked to me about when I got to "the big school," and always spoke in terms of graduate school. I literally could not have done this without such a great launching. v Love and thanks to the strong women in my family who came before me, and whom I hope to honor with this degree—they always knew I could do it—Mabel, Violet, Dolores, and my mother Mary, who always believes I'm the best kid in my class. I'm happy to add my achievement to yours. So much love to a house full of amazing cats, past and present. Your warmth and absolutely unconditional love have added immeasurably to my life, and as we part over time I know we'll be together again. Finally, my deep love and gratitude to my husband Greg, who at times wanted this for me more than I wanted it myself, but who reminded me of the many reasons to push on, and who gave me lots of laughs and love. I appreciate how much time you spent listening not only to my dissertation ideas, but also to my thoughts regarding the dissertation process— which is not the same thing, as you know. We encountered some very similar challenges and frustrations, and your empathy was immensely helpful. We are finally the "Drs. Bennet." vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Drawing by Elizabeth Sabin Goodwin for Science Service. Smithsonian Institution Archives, RU7091. Image no. SIA 2010-3715. Figure 2. Cover of Science News Letter from Nov. 6, 1937. Society for Science & the Public. Figure 3. Cover of Science News Letter from March 20, 1943. Society for Science and the Public. Figure 4. Westinghouse advertisement in Science News Letter from March 14, 1942. Society for Science & the Public. Figure 5. Radio Corporation of America advertisement in Science News Letter from March 11, 1944. Society for Science & the Public. Figure 6. Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History. Photograph taken by author. vii ABSTRACT In 1919, just after the end of World War I, Edward W. Scripps and William E. Ritter joined to form a science news organization dedicated to pioneering the dissemination of accurate, accessible, and engaging news of science to the public primarily through the mainstream media. Scripps, a longtime journalist and successful entrepreneur, and Ritter, a respected biologist and teacher, were convinced of the importance of science knowledge to the American public. They also were concerned about limits and abuses under other political systems where science research was abridged or threatened. They sought to create a "scientific habit of mind" among the general public to increase the average person's awareness of the role of science in his or her daily life, to gain support for science research, and to help protect American democracy through an intelligent—meaning science- educated—citizenry. The result of this collaboration was the organization Science Service, established in 1921 for the popularization of science, with the support and participation of the leading science organizations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, National Academy of Science, and the National Research Council, as well as leaders of the journalism community. Reaching the public also meant navigating the contentious relationship between scientists and the press to create new ways of translating science information, and overcoming scientists' reticence about sharing their research interests with the lay public. Additionally, Science Service weighed capturing the public's attention through enticing but only fact-tinged stories, versus adhering to higher scientific and journalistic standards of fact-based but less sensational articles. Through the post-war twenties, the Depression thirties, and the war-plagued forties, Science Service forged relationships with viii scientists, the press, political figures, government agencies and offices, and the general public that continue in the 21st century. Science Service made the first sustained effort at gathering and disseminating consistently credible, engaging, and understandable news of science and emerging technologies to a nationwide audience through the easily accessible mainstream media. This emerging field of "science journalism" sought to create a science-minded public able to appreciate, and willing to support, science and science research. The organization expanded the science news climate by creating a forum for science dialogue among scientists, journalists, and the public—a dialogue that continues today. 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION If the great mass of the people, through accurate and interesting accounts of the successes and failures of science, can glimpse and understand that essence of science, its trying, testing, and trying again, if they build their own convictions that this is a good, sensible, successful, and useful method, then there is hope that they will apply it more widely to everyday life, to our human relations, to running our businesses, to our governments, to everything we do. So many of the ideals that we cherish, such as liberty, opportunity, the pursuit of happiness, freedom, democracy, are achieved by the utilization of scientific methods.1 In 1919, American newspaper publisher Edward W. Scripps and prestigious biologist William E. Ritter began making plans to improve science communication and popularization in the United States. The two men aimed to create a permanent mechanism that would disseminate accurate, accessible, and engaging news of science to the public through the mainstream media and other means. Scripps, as a longtime journalist, had started newspapers in rural areas and small cities that focused on providing understandable news coverage for the average person. Ritter was a popular biology professor who conducted seaside summer workshops to introduce students to the science behind marine
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