History of Science Society explained

History of Science Society
Size:	300px
Formation:	1924
Type:	Professional Society
Headquarters:	Science History Institute
Location:	United States
Leader Title:	President
Leader Name:	Evelynn M. Hammonds
Key People:	John Paul Gutierrez (Executive Director)
Affiliations:	American Council of Learned Societies (member)

The History of Science Society (HSS), founded in 1924, is the primary professional society for the academic study of the history of science.^[1] The society has over 3,000 members worldwide. It publishes the quarterly journal Isis and the yearly journal Osiris, sponsors the IsisCB: History of Science Index,^[2] and holds an annual conference., the current president of the HSS is Evelynn M. Hammonds.^[3]

History

The History of Science Society was founded in 1924^[4] by George Sarton,^[5] David Eugene Smith,^[6] and Lawrence Joseph Henderson,^[7] primarily to support the publication of Isis, a journal of the history of science Sarton had started in 1912^[8] in Belgium.^[9]

George Sarton edited the journal Isis from 1913 until 1952, when he retired. Bernard Cohen served as managing editor of Isis from 1947 to 1952 and took over as editor from 1952 to 1958.^{[10] [11]} Subsequent editors of Isis include Harry Woolf, 1959–1963; Robert P. Multhauf, 1964–1978; Arnold Thackray (1979–1985); Charles E. Rosenberg, 1986–1988; Ronald Numbers, 1989–1993; Margaret W. Rossiter, 1994–2003; Bernard Lightman, 2004–2014, H. Floris Cohen, 2014–2019.^[12] and co-editors Alexandra Hui and Matthew Lavine.^[13] Thackray also served as editor of Osiris from 1984 to 1994^[14] and was responsible to returning it to activity.^[15] During its early years in America, the journal was published by the Harvard Printing Office.^[10] It has since been edited from the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago, the University of Wisconsin, Cornell, Toronto, Utrecht, and Mississippi State University.^{[13] [1]}

Papers from the Society are held by The Smithsonian Institution Archives.^[16] The History of Science Society's "Forum for the History of the Human Sciences", in 1989, is considered to mark the inclusion of psychology and other social sciences in the history of science.^{[17] [18]}

As of June 16, 2022, the University of Pennsylvania and the Science History Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, announced that they would become co-hosts of the History of Science Society, which had been located at Notre Dame University since 2010.^[19]

Awards and recognition

HSS sponsors two special lectures annually:

• The George Sarton Memorial Lecture, delivered at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science^[20] since 1960 (with a break from 1973 to 1975)^[21]
• The History of Science Society Distinguished Lecture (formerly the History of Science Society Lecture), delivered at a plenary session of the annual meeting of the HSS since 1981^[1]

In addition, the HSS awards a number of prizes:

• The Suzanne J. Levinson Prize, established in 2006, is awarded biennially for a book in the history of the life sciences and natural history^{[22] [23]}
• The Nathan Reingold Prize (formerly the Henry and Ida Schuman Prize), established in 1955, for an outstanding essay in the history of science written by a graduate student^[24]
• The Derek Price/Rod Webster Prize (formerly the Zeitlin-Ver Brugge Prize), established in 1978, for an outstanding article in Isis^{[1] [25]}
• The Margaret W. Rossiter History of Women in Science Prize, first awarded in 1987, for an outstanding work on the subject of women in science (the prize alternates annually between books and journals)^[25]
• The Joseph H. Hazen Education Prize, established in 1998, for outstanding contributions to teaching history of science^[25]
• The Watson Davis and Helen Miles Davis Prize, established in 1985, for a textbook or popular book on the history of science^{[1] [25]}
• The Pfizer Award, established in 1958, for an outstanding book in the history of science (a medal accompanies this award)^[25]
• The George Sarton Medal, first awarded in 1955, for lifetime achievement in the history of science^{[26] [27] [25]}

See also

• International Academy of the History of Science

External links

• • IsisCB Explore: History of Science Index An open access discovery service for the history of science
• History of Science Society, Publications, 1989–1999 from the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Notes and References

1. Sokal . Michael M. . The History of Science Society, 1970-1999: From Subscription Agency to Professional Society . Isis . 1999 . 90 . S135–S181 . 10.1086/384612 . 238011 . 143473403 . 0021-1753.
2. Web site: IsisCB Explore.
3. Web site: Officers and Committees . History of Science Society . 3 Feb 2023.
4. Web site: History of Science Society. American Council of Learned Societies. 13 February 2016. 22 February 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160222131507/https://www.acls.org/societies/societies.aspx?sid=6ba64f5c-c9a2-db11-a735-000c2903e717. dead.
5. Web site: History of the Society. History of Science Society. 13 February 2016.
6. Brasch . Frederick E. . Frederick Edward Brasch. Hudgens . Lavada . 1936 . The History of Science Society and the David Eugene Smith Festschrift . Science . 83 . 2158 . 424–426 . 10.1126/science.83.2158.424 . 1663122 . 17820122 . 1936Sci....83..424B . 0036-8075.
7. Web site: Smith. Charles H.. Charles H. Smith (historian). Henderson, Lawrence Joseph (United States 1878-1942). Some Biogeographers, Evolutionists and Ecologists: Chrono-Biographical Sketches. 13 February 2016.
8. Book: Rossiter, Margaret W.. Margaret Rossiter. Catching Up with the Vision: Essays on the Occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the History of Science Society. 1999. University of Chicago Press for the History of Science Society. Chicago, Ill..
9. Isis and Osiris . Nature . 1 August 1940 . 146 . 3695 . 262–263 . 10.1038/146262e0 . 1940Natur.146U.262. . 4092286 . en . 1476-4687. free .
10. Dauben . Joseph W. . Gleason . Mary Louise . Smith . George E. . Seven Decades of History of Science: I. Bernard Cohen (1914–2003), Second Editor of Isis . Isis . March 2009 . 100 . 1 . 4–35 . 10.1086/597575 . 19554868 . 31401544 .
11. Holton. Gerald. March 2009. George Sarton, His Isis, and the Aftermath. Isis. 100. 79–88. 10.1086/597571. 144852078. JSTOR.
12. Front Matter . Isis . 1 June 2021 . 112 . 2 . 10.1086/715737.
13. News: Nicholas . Sarah . MSU faculty named first co-editors of History of Science Society . Mississippi State University . 21 August 2018 . en.
14. Web site: Arnold Thackray (1939–) . American Chemical Society Division of the History of Chemistry . 2006 . 31 May 2023.
15. Cohen . I. Bernard . Osiris: A Research Journal Devoted to the History of Science and Its Cultural Influences . Arnold Thackray . Isis . June 1990 . 81 . 2 . 288–289 . 10.1086/355346 . en . 0021-1753.
16. Web site: Finding Aids to Records of Professional Societies in the Smithsonian Institution Archives Accession 95-160 History of Science Society Editorial Administrative Files, circa 1962-1992 Collection Overview . The Smithsonian Institution Archives . 31 May 2023.
17. Hilgard . Ernest R. . Leary . David E. . McGuire . Gregory R. . The History of Psychology: A Survey and Critical Assessment . Annual Review of Psychology . January 1991 . 42 . 1 . 79–107 . 10.1146/annurev.ps.42.020191.000455 . 19702484 . en . 0066-4308.
18. van Eekelen . Bregje F. . Traveling Concepts: Anthropological Engagements with Histories of Social Science . Annual Review of Anthropology . 24 October 2022 . 51 . 1 . 251–269 . 10.1146/annurev-anthro-102317-050241 . 253128353 . en . 0084-6570.
19. News: Baillie . Katherine Unger . Penn and the Science History Institute to serve as new hosts of History of Science Society . 31 May 2023 . Penn Today . 16 June 2022 . en.
20. News and notes . Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences . April 1990 . 26 . 2 . 213–216 . 10.1002/1520-6696(199004)26:2<213::AID-JHBS2300260215>3.0.CO;2-R.
21. Web site: George Sarton Memorial Lecture in the History and Philosophy of Science - History of Science Society . History of Science Society . 31 May 2023.
22. Web site: Susan J. Levinson Prize - History of Science Society . History of Science Society . 31 May 2023.
23. Reynolds . Andrew . Review of Culturing Life: How Cells Became Technologies, Hannah Landecker . Isis . 2011 . 102 . 1 . 149–150 . 10.1086/660216 . 10.1086/660216 . 0021-1753.
24. News: Alex Clayton Wins Reingold Prize at HSS U-M LSA Science, Technology, and Society Program (STS) . LSA University of Michigan . November 22, 2022 . en.
25. Appendix B: Prizes Awarded by the History of Science Society . Isis . 1999 . 90 . S323–S330 . 10.1086/384623 . 238022 . 0021-1753.
26. The George Sarton Medal . Isis . 1956 . 47 . 1 . 31–32 . 10.1086/348453 . 227545 . 224841244 . 0021-1753.
27. Garfield . Eugene . The life and career of George Sarton: the father of the history of science . J Hist Behav Sci . 1985 . 21 . 2 . 107–17 . 10.1002/1520-6696(198504)21:2<107::AID-JHBS2300210202>3.0.CO;2-K . 11608761 .