History of Science Society
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ISSN 0739-4934 NEWSLETTER HISTORY OF SCIENCE VOLUME 27 NUMBER 1 January 1998 SOCIETY HSS Announces Reorganization of Executive Office: a Permanent Office and an Executive Director As the HistoryofScienceSocietyapproachesitsseventy-fifth anniversary{1999), its administrative structure is changing. Over the past several decades, we have grown steadily, and our day-to-day operation has become increasingly complex: success has its price. Thanks to the efforts of Gerald Holton, the Society raised an endowment (currently valued at over $2,000 ,000), the income from which allowed us to expand the office of Secretary to that of Executive Secretary. In 1987 Michael Sokal became the Society's first Executive Secretary, and under his leadership the office began providing much-needed services to the members; the HSS Newsletter is one example. Keith Benson assumed the office in 1993 and has further expanded its services; for instance, the annual meetings are now planned several years in advance and are organized by the Executive Secretary's office. The second major step came in the early 1990s when, in order to make the income stream from the publication ofIsis and Osiris more predictable, we entered into an agreement with the University of Chicago Press to publish and promote these periodicals and to take over our membership billing system. That arrangement has worked well, and we can now make income projections for budgets several years in the future. As a result of these changes, the Society's finances are now predictable and the day-to-day operations are running very smoothly. The cost ofthese increased services to the membership has not been great: in constant dollars, membership dues are now just 16 percent higher than they were in 1970. The Executive Secrewy's operation has now reached the point at which a further change is necessary. Functions such as preparing the HSS Newsletter, running elections, keeping the Society's Web site current, organizing the annual meeting, maintaining the HSSJOBS listings, and representing the Society's interests in Washington, DC make great demands on the Executive Secretary's time. Part-time secretaries and graduate students can lighten the load only slighdy, and the generosity of institutions that house the office goes only so far. In order to deal with the increasing work load, the HSS Executive Office at the University ofWashington has for more than a year employed Constance Malpas, an historian of science who is completing her dissertation (Princeton), as a full-time Executive Assistant paid by the Society. During his term as President, Fred Gregory has worked very hard to put the Executive Secretary's office on more solid footing. In 1996, he appointed an ad hoc committee to review the functioning of the office. The committee, consisting of Mary Jo Nye, Albert Moyer, Maggie ~-----...., Osler, and Mike Sokal, and chaired by Mott Greene, issued a report in August 1997 calling for the establishment of a permanent Society office directed by a salaried Executive Director. At the annual meeting in San Diego this past November, the HSS Council voted to change the Society's administrative structure accordingly. When Keith Benson's term as Executive Secretary expires at the end of 1998, the office ofExecucive Secretary as currently defined in the Society's statutes will revert to that of Secretary, a voting member of the Executive Committee whose function is to keep the Society's records and to do its official correspondence. The day-to-day affairs of the Society will be administered at a permanent office headed by an Executive Director, a full-time, salaried, employee of the Society, who is responsible to the Executive Committee and to the HSS President. The term of the Executive Director will be five years and can be renewed. Funding for the office and position has been budgeted and will require no added increased of membership dues. Three announcements appear on page 2, asking for (1) institutional proposals for the permanent office, (2) applications for the new position of Executive Director, and (3) applications for the red~fined position of Society Secretary. Further details are supplied in the announcements. W1th these changes, the History of Science Society will have created a stable admi~istrative stru~ture that is common to learned societies of comparable size and that can continue to proVIde necessary and valuable services to the profession without HSS President Albert Van Heiden (Continued on page 2) ------------------------------------?,- page2 History of Science Society Newsletter 1 (Continued from page 1) "HSS Executive Office Reorganization . .. " making unrealistic demands on the time of one of its members .. Finally, during his term as President, Fred Gregory has proVIded the Society with very effective leadership and worked tirelessly on its {our!) behalf. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude and admiration to him. -President Albert Van Heldm Request for Proposals for HSS Permanent Office The History of Science Society invites proposals from insti tutions to house the Society's new permanent office for an initial term offive years, beginning 1January 1999, with the possibility ofrenewal. The Office will be directed by the Society's new Executive Director (see announcement below), whose salary and benefits will he paid by the Society. Proposalsshouldincludespecificdetailson the institution's proposed rontributions to this office (graduate assistants, secretarial assistance, space, computing and networking support, telephone, FAX, photocopying, faculty/scholar privileges for the Executive Di rectory, etc.). Preliminary proposals (letters of intent) must be re ceived by 15 February; final proposals are due 15 April. The decision will he announced by 15 June 1998. Direct inquiries, correspondence, and proposals to Professor Ronald L. Numbers, UniversityofWisron sin-Madison, Department of the History of Medicine, 1300 Univer sity Avenue, Madison, WI 53706 (608 262-1460; email to:[email protected]). HSS Executive Director The History of Science Society seeks applications for its newly created full-time, salaried, position of Executive Director, duties to begin I January 1999. Applicants should possess formal academic training in history of science from a recognized graduate program. Reporting to the Executive Committee, the Executive Director is responsible for managing the overall operations of the Executive Office. He or she will create and identify program initia tives, recommend and, upon approval, implement programs, policies, and procedures to ensure that the Society fulfills its mission. The Executive Director is charged with providing rontinuity in the Society's programs and policies, and in its relations with the academic community, governmental and philanthropic agencies, and the population at large. The Executive Director manages the finances of the Executive Office, supervises the Executive Office staff, and oversees miscellaneous societal publications. The Director is addition ally res~on~ible for planning the Society's annual meeting, managing the Society s web-based and. other electronic services, and implement mg new programs and seTVIces (e.g., job placement) as needed. The Executive Director is expected to promote the interests of the Society and Its con~ntuent members, and is responsible for ensuring the Soaety c~n tm u~ to fulf~lits stated mission ofadvancing research and popular mterest m the hiStory of science. The Executive Director will provide the Society's Executive (Continued on page 3) January 1998 page3 (Continued from page 2) HSS Secretary ''HSS Executive Director ... " The History of Science Society invites applications for the Secretary and Treasurer with quarterly budget reports, and will supply position of Society Secretary. The Secretary serves for a term of five the Executive Committee with an annual report on the state of the years, with possibility of renewal, on the Society's Executive Commit Society each spring in time for the latter's spring meeting. The tee. The Secretary's function is to maintain all official records of the Director is additionally charged with developing a five-year plan for Society's meetings, including recording the minutes of the Executive the Executive Office (to correspond with his or her term of service), Committee meetings, the HSS Council meeting, and the annual HSS which is subject to approval ofthe Executive Committee and Council. The Executive Director is expected to play an important role in Business meeting. The Society Secretary will, in addition, maintain semi-annual communications between the Society's standing com development and societal fund-raising. Persons interested in the position should supply a letter of mittees and the Executive Committee and will maintain the Society's application, a curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation. records and carry on its correspondence. All materials (letter of Parallel proposals for institutional commitments are encouraged, but application, a curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation) not required (see announcement above). All materials should be sent should be sent to Professor Ronald L. Numbers, University of to Professor Ronald L. Numbers, University ofWisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin-Madison, Department of the History of Medicine, 1300 Department of the History of Medicine, 1300 University Avenue, University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706 (608 262-1460; Madison, WI 53706 (608 262-1460;[email protected]). [email protected]). preceptorials, as graduate students normally do for a semester or two, was not altogether a happy experience for him, George combined a fine mind with a gentle disposition and a sweet nature, but he was reserved and sometimes uneasy in his manner. Though he was never It is very sad that George Sweetnam should not have been hard on those around him, and on the contrary was extremely given the opportunity to live the life and do the work ofwhich he was considerate, he was very hard on himself. He was at his best and most capable. George concentrated in history and science at Harvard and graceful with the written word. Indeed, I have not known a student graduated magna cum laude in 1971.