Dorothy Stimson (October 10, 1890 – September 19, 1988) was an American academic. She served as the dean of

Goucher College Goucher College ( ') is a private liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland. It was chartered in 1885 by a conference in Baltimore led by namesake John F. Goucher and local leaders of the Methodist Episcopal Church.https://archive.org/details/h ...

from 1921 to 1947 and was a professor of history at the college until 1955. Stimson served as the president of 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 publi ...

between 1953 and 1957. Her research included the reception of the Copernican theory. She also edited a collection of papers by

George Sarton George Alfred Leon Sarton (; 31 August 1884 – 22 March 1956) was a Belgian-born American chemist and historian. He is considered the founder of the discipline of the history of science as an independent field of study. His most influential work ...

, considered to be the founder of the discipline of the history of science.

Early life and education

Stimson was born in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

on October 10, 1890, to Henry Albert Stimson and Alice Wheaton. She was the granddaughter of a former president of

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

, and a cousin of former

United States Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

Henry L. Stimson Henry Lewis Stimson (September 21, 1867 – October 20, 1950) was an American statesman, lawyer, and Republican Party politician. Over his long career, he emerged as a leading figure in U.S. foreign policy by serving in both Republican and D ...

. Stimson graduated from

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely foll ...

in 1912 with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

. She later studied at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, from which she earned a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in 1913 and doctorate in 1917. Her dissertation was titled ''The Gradual Acceptance of the Copernican Theory of the Universe''. It was at the suggestion of

James Harvey Robinson James Harvey Robinson (June 29, 1863 – February 16, 1936) was an American scholar of history who, with Charles Austin Beard, founded New History, a disciplinary approach that attempts to use history to understand contemporary problems, which g ...

that Stimson pursued this subject.

Career

Stimson was the dean of women at Goucher College from 1921 until 1947. She also served as a long-time professor of history at Goucher.

Awards

* John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship for British History (1929)

References

Attribution

External links

Guide to the Dorothy Stimson Papers
at the Goucher College Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Stimson, Dorothy 1890 births 1988 deaths Historians of science Columbia University alumni Vassar College alumni Goucher College faculty and staff Writers from St. Louis Presidents of Goucher College Women heads of universities and colleges 20th-century American academics