The Physics, Mathematics, and Chemical Communities in America, 1970-1915: A Statistical Survey

Abstract

This report aims to supplement the completed and ongoing efforts to gather statistics for the history of American science. Specifically, by surveying the physics, mathematics, and chemistry communities, we have sought to help fill in the statistical gap left between the studies of American science through the Civil War and post-1920 complications of the National Research Council. To this end, we have addressed the following quantitative questions: How many people published research in physics, mathematics, and chemistry in the United States between the Civil War and World War I? What fraction of the publishers earned Ph.D’s and what fraction did not? Where did they take their doctorates? How many studied abroad? Where were they employed? Where did they publish? What were their rates of publication? Who were the more productive members of each community? How did they differ from the total of publishers in the discipline at large? Who led the professional societies founded in each discipline? How did these organizational leaders compare with the productive people in their respective fields?