Science in the Federal Government

A. Hunter Dupree is George L. Littlefield Porfessor of History Emeritus at Brown University and research associate at the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University. He is also author of Asa Gray: 1810-1888 and the editor of several other works.

• PrefacePreface to the First Edition1. First Attempts to Form a Policy, 1787-18002. Theory and Action in the Jeffersonian Era, 1800-18293. Practical Achievements in the Age of the Common Man, 1829-18424. The Fulfillment of Smithson's Will, 1829-18615. The Great Explorations and Survey's Will, 1829-18616. Bache and the Quest for a Central Scientific Organization, 1851-18617. The Civil War, 1861-18658. The Evolution of Research in Agriculture, 1862-19169. The Decline of Science in the military Services, 1865-189010. The Geological Survey, 1867-188511. The Allison Commission and the Department of Sceince, 1884-188612. Conservation, 1865-191613. Medicine and Public Health, 1865-191614. The Completion of the Federal Scientific Establishment15. Patterns of Government Research in Modern America, 1865-191616. The Impact of World War I, 1914-191817. Transition to a Business Era, 1919-192918. The Depression and the New Deal, 1929-193919. Prospect and Retrospect at the Beginning of a New Era, 1940ChronologyBibliographic NotesReferencesIndex

The qualities that made Science in the Federal Government exemplary in 1957 still do so today. The book demonstrates that the history of science can be done as an integral part of political and social history, that the history of institutions need not be narrow and dull if it includes the human dimension of personalities and elites and social relationships. It succeeds admirably in treating technical aspects of science without letting them dominate the central organizational and human themes. Dupree's achievement has been and still is reassuring and inspiring. Isis