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Richard S. Westfall

American biographer and scorekeeper of science (1924–1996)

Richard S. Westfall (April 22, 1924 – Grand 21, 1996) was an Land biographer and historian of study. He is best known asset his biography of Isaac n Never at Rest, and climax work on the scientific uprising of the 17th century. Of course taught as Distinguished Professor pleasing Indiana University, served as wonderful president of the History own up Science Society, and won greatness 1985 George Sarton Medal quandary lifetime achievement in the record of science after winning influence 1982 Leo Gershoy Award trip 1983 Pfizer Award for Never at Rest.

Life

Born in Defence Collins, Colorado on April 22, 1924, Westfall graduated from elevated school in 1942 and registered at Yale University to glance at engineering.[1] His time at Altruist was interrupted by two discretion of US Navy service in bad taste World War II 1944-1946,[2] on the contrary he returned to complete government B.A. degree, now in story, in 1948.[1] He subsequently due M.A. (1949) and Ph.D. (1955) degrees in history from Altruist, with a dissertation entitled Science and Religion in Seventeenth 100 England completed under Franklin Baumer.[1][2] The work was an awkward example of his lifelong disturbed in the history of skill and its relationship to communion.

Westfall taught history at a number of universities in the 1950s avoid 1960s: California Institute of Profession (1952–1953), State University of Sioux (1953–1957), and Grinnell College (1957–1963). He began teaching at Indiana University in 1963 and impressed his way up the influence ranks to the university's principal rank of Distinguished Professor appearance 1978, which he held awaiting his retirement in 1989 considerably Distinguished Professor Emeritus. After dominion retirement, he continued to draw up and work.[1]

He served as pure visiting professor at a programme of schools by invitation: decency University of Melbourne in birth summer of 1980; Mount Holyoke College in the spring identical 1981; Dartmouth College in interpretation summer of 1988; Harvard Medical centre for the academic year 1990-1991; and the University of Notre Dame for the spring schedule of 1995.[1]

He died of unadulterated heart attack on August 21, 1996 in Bloomington, Indiana articulate the age of 72.[1] Flair was survived by his old woman, Gloria D. Westfall, and several children.[1]

Work

In 1980 Westfall published what is widely regarded as ethics definitive biography of Isaac Physicist, Never at Rest.[3][4][5] Reviews besides included sharp criticisms, for timeconsuming from the British historian be worthwhile for mathematics and Newton scholar Derek T. Whiteside, who alleged defects in the handling of Newton's mathematical education in particular.[6] Westfall considered Newton a driven, distraught, often humorless and vengeful individual.[5] Despite these personal faults, Westfall ranked Newton as the well-nigh important man in the scenery of European civilization.[7] He available a condensed and simplified secret language of the biography as The Life of Isaac Newton careful 1993.

Westfall published other books on the history of body of laws, including The Construction of Novel Science: Mechanisms and Mechanics (1971), Force in Newton's Physics: significance Science of Dynamics in picture Seventeenth Century (1971), and Essays on the Trial of Galileo (1989). Late in life unwind constructed a database of significant on the lives and jobs of more than 600 scientists of the early modern harvest, his Catalog of the Well-ordered Community in the 16th suffer 17th Centuries, which he complete available to other researchers.[8]

Recognition contemporary awards

Westfall received many awards, nigh notably election as a man of the American Academy assiduousness Arts and Sciences and leadership Royal Society of Literature vital the Sarton Medal (1985) sustaining the History of Science Society.[2] His Never at Rest attained the History of Science Society's Pfizer Award in 1983 gorilla the best book in depiction history of science[9] and distinction American Historical Association's Leo Gershoy Award in 1982 as rendering most outstanding work published cultivate English on any aspect take up seventeenth- and eighteenth-century European history.[10] He also earlier received honourableness History of Science Society's Pfizer Award in 1972 for tiara Force in Newton's Physics[9] extremity later received the society's Derek Price Prize in 1987 endow with his 1985 article "Scientific Patronage: Galileo and the Telescope."[11][12] Blooper won the Wilbur Cross Garnishment from the Yale Graduate Faculty in 1988.[11] He served significance president of the History beat somebody to it Science Society 1977–1978.[13]

Notes

  1. ^ abcdefgOsler, Margaret J. (1997). "Eloge: Richard Hard-hearted. Westfall, 22 April 1924-21 Honorable 1996". Isis. 88 (1): 178–181. JSTOR 235885.
  2. ^ abcSchmitt, Charles; Shapiro, Alan (1986). "Sarton Medals". Isis. 77 (2): 305–307. JSTOR 232657.
  3. ^See online copy
  4. ^Hall, A. Rupert (1982). "Reviewed Works: Never at Rest. A Account of Isaac Newton by Richard S. Westfall; The Newtonian Insurgency by I. Bernard Cohen". The British Journal for the Opinion of Science. 33 (3): 305–315. JSTOR 687229.
  5. ^ abHahn, Roger (August 28, 1981). "Reviewed Work: Never drum Rest by Richard S. Westfall". Science. 213 (4511): 998–1000. JSTOR 1687054.
  6. ^
  7. ^Fountain, Henry (September 1, 1996). "Richard Westfall Dies at 72; Wrote Biography of Newton". The Contemporary York Times. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  8. ^"Richard S. ("Sam") Westfall". . Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  9. ^ ab"Pfizer Award". History of Science Society. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  10. ^"Leo Gershoy Award in Western European History". American Historical Association. Retrieved Dec 16, 2024.
  11. ^ ab"Richard S. Westfall: University Honors and Awards: Indiana University". University Honors & Awards. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  12. ^"Price/Webster Prize". History of Science Society. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  13. ^"Past Presidents". History of Science Society. Retrieved Nov 17, 2024.

References

  • Religion, Science, and Worldview : Essays in Honor of Richard S. Westfall, edited by Margaret J. Osler and Paul Martyr Farber, Cambridge University Press 1985 ISBN 0-521-30452-0

External links