Vol. 39, No. 1, April 2010
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Notes from the Inside
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Notes from the Inside
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News
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Member News
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Disturbingly Historical: Reinventing a Museum
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Teaching Tricks
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Program Profile, Georgia Institute of Technology
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Feeding a War: Q & A with Daniel Ragussis
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Honoring Scientists with Stamps
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Searching Smartly in the HistSciTechMed Database
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Jobs, Conferences, Grants
I decided to attend graduate school in the history of science while living in St. Croix, in the US Virgin Islands. My wife Becky and I were caring for abused and abandoned children—witnesses to the dark side of paradise—and I was also searching for a life’s purpose. Although the job was demanding, there was time for reading and the library in Frederiksted contained a surprising variety of books. One that I happened across, still one of my favorites, was R.F. Delderfield’s To Serve Them All My Days. It is the story of David Powlett-Jones, a British WWI veteran, who becomes a history teacher and who devotes his life to his students and his work. It is a touching tale—made into a memorable series by Masterpiece Theater—and it was Powlett-Jones’ concern for his students and his scholarship that helped convince me to pursue a Ph.D. in history. That decision was cemented by my contact with Frederick Gregory at the University of Florida, someone whom I think of as an American equivalent to Powlett-Jones. Fred guided me not only with complete devotion to the history of science, but also gave me insights into the human condition, helping me see what it meant to be a good person.
This past year, I had the privilege of sitting in on Fred’s last class, the end of 31 years at UF. As he called each student by name, I thought about the thousands of individuals who have witnessed his passion for the history of science, and it struck me that this was a time to be remembered. So I took some pictures, passed a card for the students to sign, and thought about all of the others in the HSS who have retired or who are about to retire and it prompted my desire to recognize these passages.
And so I invite contributions to a new section in the Newsletter titled, "To serve them..." It is intended as a remembrance to those individuals in the history of science who have influenced you in the classroom and beyond (many of our members are not teachers in the traditional sense). A simple photo with a caption or a few words will do. Or you may elaborate, provide a few sentences on the lessons you learned. Each life has signal moments. In this way, others may see those moments.
-Jay Malone, Executive Director