In preparation for next week’s 65th Annual Meeting of the American Scientific Affiliation,* I interviewed the outgoing ASA President, Edward B. (“Tedâ€) Davis. As you may remember from an earlier post, Ted serves as the Distinguished Professor of the History of Science at Messiah College (Grantham, PA), and directs the Central Pennsylvania Forum for Religion and Science. Our conversation focused upon
- what sparked his interest in studying the History of Science,
- tips for Emerging Scholars seeking academic positions,
- recommendations for those who are curious about and desire to explore History of Science.
Today’s post gives attention to #1 and #2. Next week, we turn to #3.
Thomas B. Grosh IV [TG]: This morning as you presented on The Galileo Affair: What Really Happened,** I don’t think anyone in the packed room could miss your passion for the History of Science. What sparked your interest in History of Science? Did you grow up desiring to know about the History of Science?
Ted Davis [TD]: I didn’t know that there was a field called the History of Science until I was a student at Drexel. I did take a couple of courses at Drexel in the History of Science, during my senior year. They were taught by Dr. Richard Rosen, who has a doctorate in History of Science from Case Western.  So I got a formal exposure to it at Drexel — for which I have always been grateful.
I was majoring in physics then. Originally I had intended to become an astronomer or astrophysicist, but by the time I took Dr. Rosen’s courses I was becoming more interested in the humanities, and I had decided to try high school science teaching for at least a few years. I wasn’t sure how much I would like it, or whether I’d be any good at it, but I ended up spending another year at Drexel, taking some graduate courses in physics and some undergraduate courses in education in order to get a teaching certificate. [Read more…] about Interview: Ted Davis, the Story of a Historian of Science