History of Science Society Following Individuals
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ISSN 0739-4934 N E W S L E T T E R. HISTORY OFSCIENC .t.oru.w .LM.lt.s.l~-N·u·M·B·E·R·2-----------SQCJEJY BERNDIBNER 1897-1988 HSS·.EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PRESIDENT MARY JO NYE, University of Oklahoma EXEClniTVESECRETARY MICHAEL M. SOKAL, Worcester Polytechnic Institute TREASURER MARY LOUISE GLEASON, New York City EDITOR CHARLES ROSENBERG, University of The following is a shortened version Pennsylvania of the eioge to be published in the September 1988 issue of Isis. ON 6 JANUARY 1988 Bern Dibner died peacefully in his sleep at his horne in The Newsletter of the History of Science Wilton, Connecticut. With his passing the history of science community has Society is published in January, April, July, and October. Regular issues are sent to those indi lost one of its most committed scholars and dedicated patrons. The many gifts vidual members of the Society residing in he made to institutions of higher education and to the Smithsonian were expres North America. Airmail copies are sent to those sions of his deep love for his adopted country, of his gratitude for the opportuni members overseas who pay $5 yearly to cover postal costs. The Newsletter is available to non ties presented to him as one of its citizens, and of his bonds to its people and its members and institutions for $20 a year. cultural heritage. The Newsletter is overseen by a Steering Bern Dibner was born in 1897 in a tiny village near Kiev in the Ukraine. At Committee consisting of the President, the Executive Secretary, and the Editor of the His the start of the Russo-Japanese war in 1904, the family emigrated to the United tory of Science Society. It is edited by the Execu States and settled in New York City. In his school years he was attached to both tive Secretary, Dr. Michael Sokal, and is the arts and the sciences, but on graduating he chose to become an electrician. produced at the Society's Publications Office under the supervision of Dr. Frances Kohler. He then attended the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn and graduated in 1921, Send news items to Newsletter, History of cum laude, with a degree in electrical engineering. He subsequently invented an Science Society, c/o Michael Sokal, 35 Dean electric connector that was universal in its connecting capabilities and did not Street, Worcester, MA 01609. The deadline for receipt of news is the tenth of the month prior require any soldering or welding, and in 1924 he founded the Bumdy Engineer to publication; for articles and other long copy; ing Company to manufacture and sell connectors of various sizes and shapes to the first of the month. the electric power industry. (Bern Dibner's son, David, is chairman of the board of what is now the Bumdy Corporation.) The success of the firm allowed Bern Dibner to resume his artistic interests. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE In 1930 a book he read changed his life. From Men and Mnchines, by Stuart ~hase, he learned of Leonardo's technological and scientific bent. Leonardo's HSS OFFICERS LIST 2 dual passion for the arts and for technology resonated with his own. It was then EMPLOYMENT SURVEY 7 that he began collecting Leonardo materials. Taking a leave from the Bumdy INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS 11 LAST WORD ON MANCHESTER 12 Continued on next page page2 History oC Science Society Newsletter Completed ballots must be received by the NEWS OF THE SOCIETY HSS Executive Secretary by 15 April1988. Results of this election will be announced in the July Newsletter. HSS Nominations-1988 Election cil candidates must contain at least fifteen The Committee on Nominations, chaired signatures and the agreement of the per HSS Support for Thematic Meetings by Stephen G. Brush, has nominated the son nominated; they must reach the Soci In 1986 the History of Science Society following individuals. For Council: Law ety's Executive Secretary by the 10 June began a program to sponsor or endorse rence Badash, Richard Burkhardt, Joan deadline for the July Newsletter if the occasional or thematic scholarly meet Cadden, Betty JoT. Dobbs, Frederick individuals' names are to be reported ings. Later this spring, for example, the Gregory, Sally Gregory Kohlstedt, Diane there. To allow time for petition candi Society will cosponsor a conference cele Paul, Philip J. Pauly, Albert Van Heiden, dates to submit biographies and photo brating the 350th anniversary of Des and Robert S. Westman. For the Commit graphs for the Newsletter, earlier cartes's Discourse on Method and a tee on Nominations, from Council: Ed submission is needed. symposium on the history of modem ward Grant, Erwin Hiebert, Sharon mathematics. (See Meetings and Lectures Election for HSS Vice-President Kingsland, Eman McMullin, Kathryn section for further information.) The Olesko, Shirley A. Roe, and William A. As the HSS Executive Secretary received committee overseeing this program hereby Wallace. For the Committee on Nomina no petitions nominating additional candi issues a third call for applications for tions, from the Society at large: John dates, ballots listing the two individuals sponsorship and endorsement. Beatty, Robert E. Kohler, John W. Servos, named by the Committee on Nomina To be endorsed or sponsored by the and Edith Dudley Sylla. tions, Stephen G. Brush and Daniel J. Society, a meeting must be held at a differ According to the Society's Constitution, Kevles, were distributed to the member ent time of year and in a different place members have two months from the ap ship on 15 March 1988. Please contact ~m the HSS annual meeting. The meet pearance of the Newsletter to nominate the HSS Publications Office immediately ing should address a thematic question in additional candidates. Petitions for Coun- if you have yet to receive your ballot. the history· of science. Endorsed meetings Continued from page 1 of the Bumdy Library and the joint author science." But the simplicity and lucidity of three of them. A characteristic example of his annotations should not deceive the Company in 1936, he went to Italy and of his scholarship was his book Oersted reader. Impressive scholarship was at work then to Zurich, where he studied Renais and the Discovery of Electromagnetism in the choice of these two hundred impor sance culture at the university. (1961). Undoubtedly his favorite among tant and seminal works. It is regularly Bern Dibner's encounter with Leonardo all the books he wrote was Heralds of cited in the characterization of books of burgeoned into his great enterprise of Science (1955, 1980). In this magnifi exceptional importance. collecting the primary sources of the cently produced book, he revealed the Not content to have created the Bumdy history of science and technology in all essential bond that existed between his Library; Bern Dibner replicated its mission fields. Initially the books and papers were collecting and his scholarship. At first elsewhere. He donated two major collec stored in metal cases in his office. The sight Heralds of Science seems merely to tions to Brandeis University and made collection, which became known as the be a beautifully illustrated catalogue of substantial contributions of books to Bumdy Library; was chartered in 1941. By two hundred "epochal books and pam Harvard, Yale, the Polytechnic Institute of the mid 1950s a separate buildiniwas phlets in the physical and biological sci Brooklyn, Wesleyan, and the University of needed to house the 40,000 volumes col ences in the Bumdy Library that were Bridgeport. In 1976 he established the lected by then; the elegant and distinctive instrumental in establishing our age of Dibner Library, a national library in the Bumdy Library building was designed and history of science and technology, at the finally opened in 1964. Bern Dibner saw Smithsonian Institution in Washington, the Bumdy Library not merely as a "stew· D.C.; to it he donated 11,000 volumes, ard of the written and printed word estab plus incunables and manuscripts. He also lishing the discipline of science.'' but also endowed institutions of higher education as contributing in important ways to the heavily. His gifts established the Bern and dissemination of "the story of the attain Barbara Dibner Chair in the History of ment and methods of science." Science at Brandeis University, the Bern What made Bern Dibner so extraordi · Dibner Library at the Polytechnic Insti nary is that he was not only an inventive tute of Brooklyn, and a curatorship and a and imaginative engineer, an able and chair at the Hebrew University in Jerusa successful businessman, a respected cap lem. The culmination of Bern Dibner's tain of industry, a generous philanthropist, lifelong involvement in the history of one of the great book collectors, and the science was realized in the founding of, founder of a magnificent library, but that with support from the Dibner Fund, the he was also a fine scholar. He was the The Sarton Medal. Courtesy Dibner Institute for the History of Science author of twenty-one of the publications of the Bumdy library. and Technology in 1987, a consortium of April 1988 page 3 will receive the approbation and encour agement of the Society and will have the HSS Officers &. Committee Chairs, 1988-1989 right to use the Society's name in fund raising and promotion. A limited number Society members are urged to use these addresses and telephone numbers to contact of sponsored meetings, to be chosen on a those with responsibility for and oversight of specific HSS activities and programs. competitive basis, will be eligible for Officers Programs and Committee on Thematic financial support. In evaluating proposals Meetings: John W. Servos, Department President: Mary Jo Nye, Department of for endorsement or sponsorship, the selec of History, Amherst College, Amherst, History of Science, University of tion committee will emphasize the fol MA 01001; (413) 542-2035.