A New World Symphony and Penn’s Peculiar Practices, 1945–1970.

The article examines the development of the academic discipline of the history of science in the United States from 1945 to 1970, focusing particularly on the University of Pennsylvania’s (Penn) limited and fragmented contributions during this formative period. While leading institutions like Harvard, Cornell, and Princeton established coherent programs supported by figures such as James Bryant Conant and Alexandre Koyré, Penn’s internal disorganization, diffuse governance, and lack of a dedicated department hindered its engagement with the emerging field despite its rich local resources. Efforts at Penn, including committee formations and faculty appointments, were sporadic and often undermined by administrative instability and mismatched priorities, culminating in a late and narrowly focused graduate program in the history of the biological sciences and medicine supported by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation. The article highlights how Penn’s peculiar institutional practices contrasted with the broader national momentum in shaping the history of science as a recognized academic discipline during the postwar era. [Extracted from the article]