• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

ISSN 0739-4934 .NEWSLETTER HISTORY OF SCIENCE VOLUME 23 NUMBER 4 OCTOBER 1994 SOCIETY NEWS FROM THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE n a few months, the HSS Executive Office will celebrate its second year at the I University of Washington in Seattle. I thought this would be an appropriate time to discuss the role of the Executive Office with HSS members. The plan for an Executive Office erne~ part of Professor Gerald Holton's drive to establish an endowment for the History of Science Society. Professor Holton was well aware that foundations and philanthropic agencies do not look favorable upon organiza­ tions that lack permanent governing and institutionalized structures. His plan was realized when Professor Michael Sokal was elected to the new position of Executive Secretary in 1988. From that time through 1992, Professor Sokal threw himself selflessly and tirelessly to the task of organizing and centralizing the operations of the Society. Perhaps no one in the Society more clearly realizes the atent to which Professor Sokal's ~rforts have been successful than his successor! The simple fact that the Society works so efficiently through its Executive Office is due in no small measure to his vision. My goal is to stay this same course and to enable the Society to grow and to prosper through an'efficient central office. While I am the titular head of the office in Seattle, the credit for its smooth operations goes to Amy Lanfear, HSS's Executive Assistant. I am sure many of you have dis­ cussed issues with Amy over the telephone or have enjoyed her prompt response to queries she has received via the mail, FAX machine, or e-mail. She is assisted by two graduate students, Moran Tompkins and Matt Klingle. Moran is in charge of special projects, especially the numerous surveys and data­ gathering instruments that many ASS committees require for their ;erations. Matt is a special assistant (cor~rir~IINi 011 page 20) The HSS &ecutive Office ({rum left to rig/,t): Morrlr~ T tmtplems, Keith Bmstm, Amy !.Jmfozr, •"" Mlltt Klir~g/e page2 History of Science Society Newsletter scholarship for which he is remembered NEWS OF THE SOCIETY centered on the early modem physical sciences. The Collections' particular Duane Henry DuBose Roller promote and devdop the history of richness in 16th- and 17th- i:entury works science. He deliberately took on instruc­ is in some measure a rdlection of Duane's (1920·1994) tional overloads, opening up and teaching spc:cial. interest in the Renaissance and early A Tribute new classes and then arguing (successfully) modem period. Duane also developed a by Kenneth L Taylor anti Marilyn Ogilvie with administration for additional faculty keen interest in ancient Greek science, The Univmity of0/e/4hom.a appointments to meet student demands. taking sabbatical leaves of absence on two By the mid-1970s there were six faculty occasions as an Associate of the American Duane H. D. Roller died at his home in positions in the history of science. He School of Classical Studies in Athens. In Norman, Oklahoma, on 22 August 1994. secured the essential institutional support his research, as well as in the lively Duane was well known for his develop­ for sustained expansion of the History of discussion with which he animated. ment of the University of Oklahoma's Science Collections. For many a summer countless seminars and coffee-table History of Science Collections, and of the Duane and Marjorie frequented cpe shops conversation, two among Duane's favorite academic programs in the history of science of European antiquarian book dealers; each themes were likely to surface: the supreme reliant on the Collections. fall Duane reapplied the pressure on importance of language in all intellectual Duane came to the University of university fund-raisers to find more private transformation, and the affinity between Oklahoma in 1954 to teach the history of funding. so that the stream of books to the scientific aearivity and novel c:x:pression in science and to serve as Curator of the Collections could continue. He worked on the ara. spc:cial. collection, begun a few years earlier large bibliographical projects, notably the In the History of Science Society, Duane on the foundation of gifts from OU printed CatAlogue of the Collections was twice a member of the Council (1956- alumnus E. L DeGolyer. Under Duane's (1976), done in collaboration with Marcia 58, 1968-70). He chaired the Pfizer supervision and largdy through his effura, M. Goodman; he edited. the huge LlmJ­ Award Committee in 1968. He was one of the collection grew from about 5,000 mllrlts ofScimce microform reproduction of the three 'Founding Fathers' of the volumes to nearly 80,000 at the time of his original sources in history ofscience. As Midwest Junto, along with Robert retirement in 1990. The undergraduate the History of Science Collections' Schofidd and Robert Siegfried. The Junto and graduate instructional programs he reputation grew, he was called on to give a was the society Duane .Li.ked best because it launched at Oklahoma bear the mark of substantial portion of his time showing it was the least formal, the least expensive, his convictions that historical study of off to everyone from schoolchildren to and the most inviting to participation by civilization hardly makes sense ifscience is visiting luminaries. Duane regularly did graduate students. Among numerous overlooked, and that there is no better this with such skill and zest that he ranked distinctions, two that he especially rdished route to understanding of cultural change about equally with the old books them­ were his service as Sigma Xi National than through the history of science. selves among the university's most prized Lecturer (19n-79) and as MAS/NSF Born in Eagle Pass, T c:xas, on 14 March and most conspicuously displayed cultural Chautuaqua Short Course Lecturer ( 1978- 1920, the son of Duane Emerson Roller assets. 79). and Doris DuBose Roller, Duane spent a Duane did all these things and more (for Keen-witted, imaginative, and energetic, good part of his youth in Norman where example, he headal the university's faculty Duane was adept at provoking others into his father was an OU physics professor. research committee for two decades) while critical re-examination of cherished ideas, He received the B.A. degree in history of pursuing diverse scholarly interests and or into their clearer defmse and elabora­ science from Columbia University in 1941 while maintaining a full schedule of tion. A fine rat:tmlftiT, Duane told (mel before becoming a naval radar officer classroom teaching and graduate student retold) stories for me amusement tbl:y during the Second World War. He served direction. His outstanding teaching was affurdcd. but usually also because they in the Navy until 1946, reaching the rack recognized in a Regents' Award for made a point, and Duane was always of Lieutenant Commander. Duane and Superior Teaching in 1970, and by his teaching. We know many others join us in Marjorie Fair Williamson were married on appointment in 1981 as David Ross Boyd sorrow that we will not again hear Duane's 15 March 1942. After the war Duane Professor, a tide added to his 1963 familiar opening. "Have I ever told you earned the M.S. degree in experimental appointment as McCasland Professor. He about. •. ?" nor the mischief that followed. physics at Purdue University in 1949, and was presented the university's Distin­ He is survived by his wife Marjorie; their in 1954 he received his Ph.D. degree in the guished Service Citation in 1980. son, Duane Williamson Roller, Professor history of science and learning from Duane's doctoral thesis became the of Classics at Ohio State UniYa'sity at Harvard University. foundation for a book on The De Mlzgnete Lima; and their daughter-in-law, Letitia K. In his four decades at Oklahoma, Duane ofWJ/imn Gilbm (1959). Much of the Roller, Lecturer in An at OSU-Lima. A worked tirelessly on multiple fronts to July 1994 page3 memorial fund is established in Duane's very generous and hdpful for my sible for our Russian colleagues to afford a name to endow the purchase of books for work.... Please, give my thanks membership in HSS. Therefore, we have a OU's History of Science Collections. from my heart to the member of particular need to encourage HSS members Donations may be made to the University HSS [who] proposed and dected me.... to contribute to the program for these of Oklahoma Foundation for the Duane [His or her] initiative is very kind and colleagues. H. D. Roller Collection, History of useful to us." Knth R. Benson Science Fund. The Foundation's address is 100 Timberdell Rd., Norman, OK 73109- It is simple to participate. Merely HSS Archives on the Move! 0685. complete the form below, provide the name of a scholar you wish to sponsor (or Beginning in the very near future, the indicate you wish us to sdect from scholars archives of HSS will be transferred from Sponsor-A-Scholar Program who have requested sponsorship), write a the American Philosophical Society, where check payable to "'HistoryofScience they were collected originally, to the HSS would like to thank the many Society" ($35 for each sponsored scholar), Smithsonian Institution. The transfer was members who have supported our new and we do the rest. We also maintain your brought about when APS decided to initiative, "Sponsor-A-Scholar" (previously confidentiality, although we do send you a discontinue several institutional archival known as "Adopt-A-Scholarj. The confirmation of the name and address of collections in favor of concentrating on program is clearly filling a need, as the sponsored scholar.

Load more

  24

Copy Link