June Goodfield is a British historian, scientist, and writer of both fiction and non-fiction.

Biography

Born Gwyneth June Goodfield in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1927, she read

zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...

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 ...

and undertook a PhD in history and philosophy of science at

Leeds University , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

, graduating in 1959, and spending the following year as a research assistant at

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...

. After teaching biology at Benenden School, Kent, and

Cheltenham Ladies' College Cheltenham Ladies' College is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. Consistently ranked as one of the top all-girls' schools nationally, the school was established in 1853 to p ...

, Goodfield lectured in history and philosophy of science at

until 1960. She was consultant 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 high ...

's Department of Education (1960–65), professor of history and philosophy of science at Wellesley College (1966–69), professor of human medicine and philosophy at Michigan State University (1969–78), senior research fellow at the Rockefeller University (1977–82), and Robinson Professor at George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia. Goodfield has participated in the work of professional bodies, including the Institute of Society, Ethics and the Life Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Zoological Society, and the

Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society in the United Kingdom, headquartered in London. History The Society was established in 1805 as Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, meeting in two rooms in barristers’ chamber ...

. She was president of the

United Nations Association A United Nations Association (UNA) is a non-governmental organization that exist in various countries to enhance the relationship between the people of member states and the United Nations to raise public awareness of the UN and its work, to promot ...

in 1986–1987. Goodfield married Stephen Toulmin in 1960, and collaborated with him on a series of books on the history of science, including ''The Architecture of Matter'' (1962) and ''The Discovery of Time'' (1966). In the 1970s and 1980s she wrote on the battle against disease, particularly ''The Siege of Cancer'' (1975) and ''Quest for the Killers'' (1985), which described the epidemiological search for the cause and cure of five deadly diseases: Kuru, Hepatitis B, Schistosomiasis, leprosy, and smallpox. Her book ''An Imagined World'' described five years spent with one scientist, tackling the question of whether and how the personality of a scientist is expressed in their work. The second major book, ''Science and the Media'', was commissioned by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Goodfield has produced and directed a number of scientific films, winning several awards. Her 1964 film on the development of the cell theory, ''The Perfection of Life'', won second prize at the Sydney Scientific Film Festival. Her five-part television series ''From the Face of the Earth'', broadcast in the United Kingdom and in the United States (as ''Quest for the Killers'') won the British Association for the Advancement of Science Award for the best television series in 1985. While at the Rockefeller University she founded International Health and Biomedicine (UK/USA), a not-for-profit organisation whose objective was to enhance public understanding of science and its impact on global health problems. Goodfield has written several books on the history of her native Sussex, including ''Deans Place'' (2006) and ''Stanmer & the Pelhams'' (2007) and ''Wingrove and the Churchill Connection'', in collaboration with fellow historian Peter Robinson. Her work ''Rivers of Time: Why is everyone talking to Philippa?'' (2008) was inspired by a seventeenth-century memorial on the island of

Nevis Nevis is a small island in the Caribbean Sea that forms part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies. Nevis and the neighbouring island of Saint Kitts constitute one country: the Federation of Saint Kitts and ...

. In the sixteenth century, women rarely had dedicated memorials in their own right. The discovery of a marker tablet in the lee of Saddle Hill, at the southern end of

, giving the name of a woman who died in 1683, triggered a quest lasting many years.

is a small island that has been influential in the history of both Great Britain and America, with links to Alexander Hamilton, Lord Nelson, and Diana, Princess of Wales. The mystery of the marker tablet is now solved; her book is being made into a film. In September 2008 Goodfield participated in the launch of a new personal and social history recording website called the Times of My Life. She gave a speech on the importance of leaving a written legacy behind and was joined at the event by

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

singer

Dame Vera Lynn Dame Vera Margaret Lynn (; 20 March 191718 June 2020) was an English singer and entertainer whose musical recordings and performances were very popular during World War II. She is honorifically known as the " Forces' Sweetheart", having giv ...

and actor and explorer

Brian Blessed Brian Blessed (; born 9 October 1936) is an English actor, presenter, writer and mountaineer. Blessed is known for portraying PC "Fancy" Smith in ''Z-Cars'', Augustus in the 1976 BBC television production of '' I, Claudius'', King Richard I ...

.Times of my Life (social history website)
/ref> In 2008 she founded SAFE (Save Alfriston for Everyone), a local charity which seeks to resolve the traffic problem suffered by the Sussex village of

Alfriston Alfriston is a village and civil parish in the East Sussex district of Wealden, England. The village lies in the valley of the River Cuckmere, about four miles (6 km) north-east of Seaford and south of the main A27 trunk road and part ...

. She was an active member of

Parish Council, and Chairman of the Alfriston & Cuckmere Valley Historical Society.

Non fiction works

*''The Growth of Scientific Physiology'' (1960) *''The Fabric of the Heavens: The Development of Astronomy and Dynamics'' (with Stephen Toulmin) (1961) *''The Architecture of Matter'' (with Stephen Toulmin) (1962) *''The Discovery of Time'' (with Stephen Toulmin) (1965) *''The Siege of Cancer'' (1975) *''Playing God : Genetic Engineering and the Manipulation of Life'' (1977) *''An Imagined World : A Story of Scientific Discovery'' (1981) *''Reflections on Science and the Media'' (1981) *''Quest for the Killers'' (1985) *''A Chance to Live'' (1991) *''Peace in our Time?'' (with Mary Anne Fitzgerald) (1991) *''The Planned Miracle'' (1991) *''Deans Place'' (with Peter Robinson) (2006) *''Stanmer & the Pelhams'' (with Peter Robinson) (2007) *''Rivers of Time: Why is everyone talking to Philippa?'' (2008) *''Wingrove and the Churchill Connection'' (2010)

Fiction works

*''Courier to Peking'' (1973) *''Rotten at the Core'' (2001)

Films and documentaries

*''A Challenge of Life'' *''Time is'' (1964) (producer) *''The Perfection of Life'' (1964) *''The Perfection of Matter'' *''The God Within'' *''From the Face of the Earth'' (1985) *''The Planned Miracle'' (1990) *''The Cosmic Joke and Apocalypse Later'' (1992) *''From Out of the People'' (1998)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodfield, June British science writers British women scientists British writers Living people People from Stratford-upon-Avon British historians British women historians 1927 births Alumni of the University of London Alumni of the University of Leeds Academics of the University of Leeds Wellesley College faculty Michigan State University faculty George Mason University faculty Rockefeller University faculty People from Alfriston