Harry Woolf (August 12, 1923 – January 6, 2003) was an American educator and historian of science who served as provost of The

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

and was later the fifth Director of the

Institute for Advanced Study The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) is an independent center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry located in Princeton, New Jersey. It has served as the academic home of internationally preeminent scholars, including Albert Ein ...

. Born in New York City, Woolf received his B.A. and M.A. degrees in 1948 and 1949 from the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

in mathematics, physics, and history. His Ph.D. in 1955 was from

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

in the history of science. Between 1953 and 1961, Woolf was a faculty member at

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...

Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...

, and the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

. In 1961 he moved to The

, where he was the Willis K. Shepard professor of the history of science, department chairman from 1961 to 1972, and finally provost (1972–1976). Woolf's organizational talents caught the eye of the board of the

, and he was appointed Director in 1976, succeeding Carl Kaysen and serving until 1987 when he was succeeded by Marvin L. Goldberger. During Woolf's term, the Institute grew significantly in both physical size and endowment, the latter growing from $51.7 million in 1975 to $187.9 million in 1987, the year that Woolf stepped down as Director. Woolf was the author of ''The Transits of Venus: A Study of Eighteenth-Century Science'' (1959), and the editor of several journals and multiple monographs, including the sixteen-volume ''Dictionary of Scientific Biography'' (1964–1980). His awards and honors include the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung Medal in 1990, and fellowship in the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

and the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

References

* Institute for Advanced Study
"Harry Woolf August 12, 1923 - January 6, 2003"
* Paul Lewis

The New York Times, January 8, 2003. {{DEFAULTSORT:Woolf, Harry Directors of the Institute for Advanced Study American historians of science 2003 deaths 1923 births University of Chicago alumni Cornell University alumni Boston University faculty Brandeis University alumni University of Washington faculty Johns Hopkins University faculty