The Center's newsletter has updates on the fellowship program, public and academic events, collections of consortium partners and transitions at the Center.
The Library of the American Philosophical Society has received the papers of Britton Chance (1913-2010), the Eldridge Reeves Johnson Emeritus Professor of Biophysics, Physical Chemistry, and Radiologic Physics at the University of Pennsylvania. Prof. Chance was a world leader in transforming theoretical science into useful biomedical and clinical applications. He developed dozens of devices for use in biomedical research, making or facilitating the making of many important discoveries.
The American Society for Testing and Materials, now known as ASTM International, was founded in 1898 by a group of engineers and scientists to tackle the problem of frequent break in railroad tracks. From their work grew industry-wide standards for the steel used in rail construction. Among the society’s early founders was Charles B. Dudley who worked as a chemist for the Pennsylvania Railroad. The society once shared offices with the Engineers’ Club of Philadelphia at 1315 Spruce Street. Today, ASTM International’s headquarters are in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
Susan Parry (circa 1833-circa 1895) of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, taught school in Lumberville, Pennsylvania in 1849. In 1858, she graduated from the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, the first medical school in the world established to train women and offer them the M.D., which was founded in 1850. She practiced medicine in Bucks County until her death in the 1890s. There are two volumes in this collection. The first is a notebook, entitled “S.
Two collections containing important materials relating to the history of science, technology, and medicine were recently donated to the University of Pennsylvania. The first, the Lawrence J. Schoenberg Collection of Manuscripts, focuses on medieval and renaissance works. The second, given by Dr. Daniel and Eleanor Albert, includes a noteworthy medical ephemera collection.
Hagley announces the addition of four new collections in the history of technology, covering the rise of shooting sports, computer developments at the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), a landmark gender equality battle at AT&T, and the formative years at Singer Manufacturing Company. The papers of the Wilmington [Delaware] Trapshooting Association, founded in 1916, include board minutes, financial ledgers, and photographs that outline the history of the club.
George F. Parry (1838-1886) of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was one of the first veterinarians (and probably the first from Pennsylvania) to receive professional veterinary training in the United States. He graduated from the Boston Veterinary Institute in 1859, served as a veterinary surgeon with the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry during the Civil War, and conducted a private practice in Newtown from shortly after the war until his death at age 48. George had at least two surviving siblings: Susan Parry (1826-1890), and Helen (or Helena) Parry (1829-1854). Another sister, Rachel, died in 1825.
Jenna Tonn, Harvard University
2012 to 2013 Research Fellow
The Philadelphia General Hospital photo collection is a collaboration between the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing and the Schoenberg Center for Electronic Text and Image (SCETI). Featuring over a thousand images which cover the full history of the PGH nursing school, this site will serve as an invaluable research resource that highlights the evolution of the City of Philadelphia and the growth of the nursing profession in general.
Former PACHS Fellow Chris Jones (Ph.D. 2009) has accepted a position as assistant professor of Environmental Humanities at Arizona State University in the School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies.
