Elizabeth Garber (1939–2020) 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 Mesopo ...

known for her work on

James Clerk Maxwell James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879) was a Scottish mathematician and scientist responsible for the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, which was the first theory to describe electricity, magnetism and li ...

and the history of physics. She was a professor of history for many years at Stony Brook University.

Education and career

Elizabeth Anne Wolfe was born in England and studied mathematics, physics, and geology at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

. After moving to the United States and marrying physicist Donald Garber, she earned a Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University with a dissertation on Maxwell. She became a faculty member at Stony Brook University, and retired in 2008.

Books

Garber was the author of: *''The Language of Physics: The Calculus and the Development of Theoretical Physics in Europe, 1750-1914'' (Birkhäuser, 1999) She co-edited several books collecting the works of James Clerk Maxwell: *''Maxwell on Saturn's Rings'' (edited with Stephen G. Brush and C. W. F. Everitt, MIT Press, 1983) *''Maxwell on Molecules and Gases'' (edited with Stephen G. Brush and C. W. F. Everitt, MIT Press, 1986) *''Maxwell on Heat and Statistical Mechanics: On "Avoiding All Personal Enquiries of Molecules"'' (edited with Stephen G. Brush and C. W. F. Everitt, Associated University Presses, 1995) She also edited: *''Beyond History of Science: Essays in Honor of Robert E. Schofield'' (Lehigh University Press, 1990)

Recognition

Garber was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 1989 "for her research in the history of physics, including the development of kinetic theory and molecular science in the 19th century."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garber, Elizabeth Living people American historians of science American women historians Alumni of the University of London Stony Brook University faculty Fellows of the American Physical Society 1939 births 21st-century American women