If you are doing research on the history of modern science in America, this is a great research tool. The National Academy of Sciences’ Biographical Memoirs[1]are
short biographical articles on the lives of deceased members of the National
Academy of Sciences. Written by “those who knew them or their work,” it has
amassed over 1400 biographies since 1877. It includes persons in several
different fields of science all which fit into the following categories:
Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering and
Applied Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Behavioral and Social Sciences and Applied Biological,
Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Since membership in the National
Academy of Sciences is needed to be included in the collection, most featured
scientists completed the bulk of their work in the United States. Though some
women such as Margaret Meade and Barbara McClintock are given entries, the
overwhelming majority are male. This is likely due to the fact that most
prominent female scientists of the last century are still living. Each article
begins with a brief summary of their early life and then quickly enters into
their education and career development, dedicating the most space to their
contributions to American science. The tone and obvious connection that the authors
have to their subjects implies that the biography is intended to be a eulogy.
The entire collection is available online as PDF files at the National Academy
of Sciences website, where the articles are listed alphabetically as well as
searchable by keyword. Currently since not all deceased members have full
articles, it is possible to join a mailing list that will send updates as new
memoirs are posted.
The complete Biographical Memoirs can be found at: http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/online-collection.html
[1] National Academy of Sciences
(U.S.). 1877. Biographical memoirs. Washington: National Academy of Sciences.
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