Ornithology

"Science is an essential element of American civilization. The historical study of American science -- the study of the individuals, the institutions, the ideas, and the experiments that together constitute the rich fabric of science in the United States -- is a lively and exciting field of scholarship. However, the knowledge and interpretations generated by this scholarship have not been easily accessible to the high school or college student or to the interested general reader. This volume has been written to furnish that access".

-- Marc Rothenberg

(from the Introduction)

The History of Science in the United States: An Encyclopedia brings together more than 200 scholars, ranging from the leading experts in their fields to young scholars presenting the fruits of their research. It offers a vast body of information hitherto scattered in numerous journals and specialized monographs. The book's coverage includes the roles of institutions and disciplines, the history of medicine and technology, the relationship between science and technology, and the major figures in the history of science in the United States.

The first work in English to examine the twentieth-century development of all the sciences at a major university, this book traces Oxford's period of rapid growth between the two World Wars from a school devoted explicitly to the liberal arts to an important institution for research and experimentation. Jack Morrell shows how this transformation occurred in spite of considerable opposition, detailing the various and ever-present financial, social, and political obstacles typical of the academy. This well-told tale will fascinate anyone interested in the institutionalization of science.

Casting a wide net, this volume provides personal and professional information on some 445 American and Canadian naturalists and environmentalists, who lived from the late 15th century to the late 20th century. It includes explorers who published works on the natural history of North America, conservationists, ecologists, environmentalists, wildlife management specialists, park planners, national park administrators, zoologists, botanists, natural historians, geographers, geologists, academics, museum scientists and administrators, military personnel, travellers, government officials, political figures and writers and artists concerned with the environment. Some of the subjects are well known. The accomplishments of others are little known.