Allen George Debus (August 16, 1926 – March 6, 2009) was an American
historian of science
The history of science covers the development of science from ancient times to the present. It encompasses all three major branches of science: natural, social, and formal.
Science's earliest roots can be traced to Ancient Egypt and Meso ...
, known primarily for his work on the history of
chemistry
Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
and
alchemy
Alchemy (from Arabic: ''al-kīmiyā''; from Ancient Greek: χυμεία, ''khumeía'') is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practiced in China, India, the Muslim world, ...
. In 1991 he was honored at the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
with an academic conference held in his name. Paul H. Theerman and
Karen Hunger Parshall
Karen Hunger Parshall (born 1955, Virginia; ''née'' Karen Virginia Hunger) is an American historian of mathematics. She is the Commonwealth Professor of History and Mathematics at the University of Virginia with a joint appointment in the Corcor ...
edited the proceedings, and Debus contributed his
autobiography
An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life.
It is a form of biography.
Definition
The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...
of which this article is a digest.
Early life
Allen Debus attended the
Evanston public school system where he showed an early interest in
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
. A great aunt passed on her legacy of an epoch of music to him in the form of a 1908
Victrola
The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer that operated independently from 1901 until 1929, when it was acquired by the Radio Corporation of America and subsequently operated as a subsidi ...
and a
record collection up to 1923. Due to the topical material and dialect songs, he wrote "studying this music gave me an opportunity early on to place past events in their historical context". In the contextual approach to history, developments should be compared across fields, and this is a feature of the school of
Alexandre Koyre,
I. Bernard Cohen
I. Bernard Cohen (1 March 1914 – 20 June 2003) was the Victor S. Thomas Professor of the history of science at Harvard University and the author of many books on the history of science and, in particular, Isaac Newton and Benjamin Franklin.
C ...
, and
Walter Pagel
Walter Traugott Ulrich Pagel
(12 November 1898 – 25 March 1983) was a German pathologist and medical historian.
Pagel was born in Berlin, the son of the famous physician and historian of medicine Julius Leopold Pagel. He married Dr. Magda Koll ...
, the latter two being teachers of Debus.
Higher education
Debus studied
chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...
and history, graduating with a major in chemistry in the summer of 1947 from
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
. He pursued his master's degree at
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, or simply Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana University and, with ...
where he had followed John J. Murray. In June 1949 he presented his master's thesis ''
Robert Boyle
Robert Boyle (; 25 January 1627 – 31 December 1691) was an Anglo-Irish natural philosopher, chemist, physicist, alchemist and inventor. Boyle is largely regarded today as the first modern chemist, and therefore one of the founders of ...
and Chemistry in England 1660-1700'' under John J. Murray. Subsequently, he worked towards a master's in chemistry at the same institution. He went to work for
Abbott Laboratories
Abbott Laboratories is an American multinational medical devices and health care company with headquarters in Abbott Park, Illinois, United States. The company was founded by Chicago physician Wallace Calvin Abbott in 1888 to formulate known dr ...
, a company for which he filed five
patent
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A p ...
s. He wrote that slow reaction times for some of his work provided reading time for broader investigations in history of science and chemistry literature. In fall 1956 he began his
Ph.D.
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
studies at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
under
I. Bernard Cohen
I. Bernard Cohen (1 March 1914 – 20 June 2003) was the Victor S. Thomas Professor of the history of science at Harvard University and the author of many books on the history of science and, in particular, Isaac Newton and Benjamin Franklin.
C ...
. His teaching assistant work was supervised by Leonard K. Nash. In a seminar with
W. K. Jordan he presented a paper on the English followers of
Paracelsus
Paracelsus (; ; 1493 – 24 September 1541), born Theophrastus von Hohenheim (full name Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim), was a Swiss physician, alchemist, lay theologian, and philosopher of the German Renaissance.
He w ...
which received the
Bowdoin Prize The Bowdoin Prizes are prestigious awards given annually to Harvard University undergraduate and graduate students. From the income of the bequest of Governor James Bowdoin, AB 1745, prizes are offered to students at the University in graduate and ...
in the Natural Sciences, the first of two from his years at Harvard. In September 1959 he went to London, England to delve more deeply into the topic. There he met regularly with
Walter Pagel
Walter Traugott Ulrich Pagel
(12 November 1898 – 25 March 1983) was a German pathologist and medical historian.
Pagel was born in Berlin, the son of the famous physician and historian of medicine Julius Leopold Pagel. He married Dr. Magda Koll ...
and attended
University College of London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
courses given by
Douglas McKie
Prof Douglas McKie FRSE FRIC FSA (1896–1967) was a British chemist and science historian. He was a member of the International Academy of the History of Science, the Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry, and the Society of Apothecar ...
. Returning to Harvard, he completed the requirements for a Harvard Ph.D. in history of science in 1961.
Professor
In 1961, Debus took up a position at the University of Chicago under
William McNeill in the Department of History, with one-third of the time as assistant professor in history of science, and two-thirds in undergraduate physical science coursework. In 1965 he was raised to Associate Professor on the strength of his book ''The English Paracelsians''. For the school-year 1966/7 he went on an overseas fellowship to
Churchill College, Cambridge
Churchill College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It has a primary focus on science, engineering and technology, but still retains a strong interest in the arts and humanities.
In 1958, a trust was establish ...
. Back at the University of Chicago, Debus described attempts by the philosophy department to intrude on the history of science program in the history department.
Debus was instrumental in the development of the ''Morris Fishbein Center'': he served as its first director for two three-year terms. In 1978 he was elected to the academic chair at University of Chicago established in honor of
Morris Fishbein
Morris Fishbein Doctor of Medicine, M.D. (July 22, 1889 – September 27, 1976) was an American physician and editor of the ''Journal of the American Medical Association'' (''JAMA'') from 1924 to 1950.
Ira Rutkow's ''Seeking the Cure: A Hist ...
. Allen G. Debus developed a three-quarter sequence in history of science, leading from ancient science to the beginning of the twentieth century. He also led seminars in Renaissance science and medicine. He was at the
Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States, is an independent center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It has served as the academic home of internationally preeminent scholar ...
in
Princeton
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...
working on the Renaissance chemical philosophy. He was awarded the
George Sarton Medal
The George Sarton Medal is the most prestigious award given by the History of Science Society. It has been awarded annually since 1955. It is awarded to an historian of science from the international community who became distinguished for "a lifeti ...
(1994) and the
Pfizer Award
The Pfizer Award is awarded annually by the History of Science Society "in recognition of an outstanding book dealing with the history of science"
Recipients
* 1959 Marie Boas Hall, ''Robert Boyle and Seventeenth-Century Chemistry'' (New Yor ...
(1978) from the
History of Science Society
The History of Science Society (HSS) is the primary professional society for the academic study of the history of science. It was founded in 1924 by George Sarton, David Eugene Smith, and Lawrence Joseph Henderson, primarily to support the public ...
. He was also awarded the
Dexter Award The HIST Award for Outstanding Achievement in the History of Chemistry (2013-present) is given by the Division of the History of Chemistry of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The award was originally known as the Dexter Award (1956-2001) and th ...
(1987) of the
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all d ...
and the
Edward Kremers Award of the
American Institute of the History of Pharmacy. In 1984 he received an honorary Ph.D. from the
Catholic University of Louvain
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
.
Family
Allen G. Debus noted that his
academic career was an innovation in his familial lineage. His father formed the company ''Modern Boxes'', where Allen served as salesman for a time in 1950. Allen met Brunilda Lopez Rodriguez from
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
at Indiana University. They married in 1951, and studied Latin, French, and German together preparing for Debus' push for the Ph.D. They had three children: Allen (1954), Richard (1957–2007), and Karl (1961).
Books
* ''The English
Paracelsians
Paracelsianism (also Paracelsism; German: ') was an early modern medical movement based on the theories and therapies of Paracelsus.
It developed in the second half of the 16th century, during the decades following Paracelsus' death in 1541, a ...
'' (Oldbourne Press : History of science library, 1965)
* Editor, ''World Who's Who in Science'' (
A. N. Marquis, 1968)
* ''The chemical dream of the Renaissance'' (Heffer, 1968 : reprinted
Bobbs-Merrill
The Bobbs-Merrill Company was a book publisher located in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Company history
The company began in 1850 October 3 when Samuel Merrill bought an Indianapolis bookstore and entered the publishing business. After his death in 1 ...
, 1968)
* ''Science and education in the seventeenth century: The
Webster
Webster may refer to:
People
*Webster (surname), including a list of people with the surname
*Webster (given name), including a list of people with the given name
Places Canada
*Webster, Alberta
*Webster's Falls, Hamilton, Ontario
United State ...
-
Ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
debate'' (Macdonald, History of science library, primary sources, 1970)
* Editor, ''Medicine in Seventeenth Century England'' (University of California Press, 1974)
* ''The chemical philosophy: Paracelsian science and medicine in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries'' (1977, 2nd ed., 2002
Dover reprint, 2013
(Cambridge, 1978)
* ''Chemistry, Alchemy and the New Philosophy, 1550-1770: Studies in the History of Science and Medicine'' (
Variorum Reprints, 1987)
* Co-editor with Ingrid Merkel, ''
Hermeticism
Hermeticism, or Hermetism, is a philosophical system that is primarily based on the purported teachings of Hermes Trismegistus (a legendary Hellenistic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth). These teachings are containe ...
and the Renaissance: Intellectual History and the Occult in Early Modern Europe'' (Folger Books, 1988)
* Co-authored with
Brian A. L. Rust, ''The Complete Entertainment Discography: From 1897-1942 (Roots of Jazz)'' (Arlington House, 1982; 2nd ed., Da Capo, 1989)
* ''The French Paracelsians, The Chemical Challenge to Medical and Scientific Tradition in Early Modern France'' (Cambridge, 1991)
* Co-editor with Michael Thomson Walton, ''Reading the Book of Nature: The Other Side of the Scientific Revolution (Sixteenth Century Essays and Studies)'' (Thomas Jefferson University Press, 1998)
* ''Chemistry and Medical Debate: van Helmont to Boerhaave'' (Science History Publications, 2001)
* Editor, ''Alchemy and Early Modern Chemistry: Papers from Ambix'' (Jeremy Mills, 2004)
* ''The Chemical Promise: Experiment And Mysticism in the Chemical Philosophy, 1550-1800 : Selected Essays of Allen G. Debus'' (2006)
Debus reprinted 16th and 17th century texts by
Elias Ashmole
Elias Ashmole (; 23 May 1617 – 18 May 1692) was an English antiquary, politician, officer of arms, astrologer and student of alchemy. Ashmole supported the royalist side during the English Civil War, and at the restoration of Charles II he ...
,
John Dee
John Dee (13 July 1527 – 1608 or 1609) was an English mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, teacher, occultist, and alchemist. He was the court astronomer for, and advisor to, Elizabeth I, and spent much of his time on alchemy, divinatio ...
and
Robert Fludd
Robert Fludd, also known as Robertus de Fluctibus (17 January 1574 – 8 September 1637), was a prominent English Paracelsian physician with both scientific and occult interests. He is remembered as an astrologer, mathematician, cosmologis ...
.
He programmed and prepared notes for CDs released by
Archeophone Records
Archeophone Records is a record company and label founded in 1998 to document the early days of America's recording history. It was started by Richard Martin and Meagan Hennessey, a husband and wife who run the company in Champaign, Illinois. Ar ...
.
References
* Allen G. Debus (1997) "From Sciences to History: A Personal Intellectual Journey", in Theerman & Parshall (1997).
* Paul H. Theerman & Karen Hunger Parshall, editors, (1997) ''Experiencing Nature, Proceedings of a Conference in Honor of Allen G. Debus'',
Kluwer Academic Publishers
Springer Science+Business Media, commonly known as Springer, is a German multinational publishing company of books, e-books and peer-reviewed journals in science, humanities, technical and medical (STM) publishing.
Originally founded in 1842 in ...
.
External links
Guide to the Allen G. Debus Papers 1948-1998at th
University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Debus, Allen
1926 births
2009 deaths
20th-century American historians
American male non-fiction writers
American science writers
Historians of science
Northwestern University alumni
Indiana University Bloomington alumni
Harvard University alumni
Writers from Chicago
Writers from Evanston, Illinois
Historians from Illinois
20th-century American male writers