| Oregon State University | Dr. Ronald E. Doel |
| HSTS 514 [general resources found here] | 134 Wilkinson Hall; tel. 737-3469 |
| Seminar meeting: 301 Milam Hall, 5-6 PM | Office hours: 11-12 noon Friday, or by appointment |
| Fall 2005 | Best email: doelr@geo.oregonstate.edu |
| Undergraduate lecture: 7-9:50 PM Mondays, 108 Wilkinson Hall | Related link: Resources for Historians |
| Week 7 discussion: Steve Brush, "Should the History of Science be Rated X?" | Web: http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/hsts414/doel [grad seminar link upper right] |
History of Twentieth Century Science
Our graduate seminar will address the major themes of twentieth century science, focusing on the experiences of
researchers in the United States. Our aim will be to address the history of scientific research within its intellectual,
political, social, and cultural contexts. Students will gain historical perspectives on the development of modern
U.S. science, insights into evaluating historical evidence, and appreciation for the interplay between science
and technology in this period.
Seminar participants shall complete all reading assignments for the undergraduate lecture course HSTS 414 (undergraduate
lectures are held Monday evenings, 7-9:50 PM, in Wilkinson 108). Seminar members will also attend the undergraduate
class and be prepared to discuss readings and lecture themes in seminar.
For this seminar, participants will read (in addition to the undergraduate reading assignments):
Numbers, Ronald L. and Charles E. Rosenberg, eds. The Scientific Enterprise in America: Readings from Isis. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996). [Paperback; available at the university bookstore in the Memorial Union]
Requirements: In addition to seminar participation, the main focus for graduate seminar participants
will be the research paper, which ought not exceed fifteen to twenty pages in length. Seminar
members will also take part in all undergraduate classroom discussions and demonstrate familiarity with the themes
and contents of the undergraduate lectures and readings; the graduate research paper will be undertaken in place
of the undergraduate midterm and final examinations.
Reading schedule:
Week 1 [September 26]: Rosenberg, "Science in American Society: A Generation of Historical
Debate, with a Headnote and Afterword," pp. 2-20. [Will be briefly discussed in Week 2.]
Week 2 [October 3]: Kohler, "The Ph.D. Machine: Building on the Collegiate Base,"
pp. 98-122
Week 3 [October 10]: Rossiter, "‘Women's Work in Science, 1880-1910," pp. 123-158
Week 4 [October 17]: Servos, "Mathematics and the Physical Sciences in America, 880-1930,"
pp. 141-159
Week 5 [October 24]: Pauly, "The Development of High School Biology: New York City,
1900-1925." pp. 160-186
Week 6 [October 31]: Wise, "Ionists in Industry: Physical Chemistry at General Electric,
1900-1915," pp. 187-202
Week 7 [November 7]: Mitman, "Cinematic Nature: Hollywood Technology, Popular Culture,
and the American Museum of Natural History," pp. 203-227
==> see note on optional Brush
reading, noted above
Week 8 [November 14]: Lederer, "Political Animals: The Shaping of Biomedical Research
Literature in Twentieth-Century America," pp. 228-246
Week 9 [November 21]: Please read one of the following:
Owens, "MIT and the Federal ‘Angel:' Academic R&D and Federal-Private Cooperation Before World War II,"
pp. 247-272
Goldberg, "Inventing a Climate of Opinion: Vannevar Bush and the Decision to Build the Bomb," pp. 273-296
Week 10 [November 28]: Please read one of the following:
| Kevles, "The National Science Foundation and the Debate Over Postwar Research Policy, 1942-1945: A Political Interpretation of Science–The Endless Frontier, pp. 273-296 |
Last revised: 28 September 2005