7 linear feet, 14 boxes
Content Description
The Paul Lawrence Farber Papers include 7 linear feet of correspondence, institutional records, typescripts, research notes, and reprints.
Biographical Note
Paul Lawrence Farber was born on March 7, 1944 in New York City, New York. In 1961 he entered the University of Pittsburgh and graduated in 1965 with a Bachelor's of Science in Zoology and a minor in Chemistry. He began work in the Master's in History and Philosophy of Science Department at Indiana University and completed his Ph.D. thesis entitled "Buffon's Concept of Species" 1970. After leaving Indiana, Dr. Farber was offered a position at Oregon State University as an Assistant Professor of the History of Science in the Department of General Science. He accepted and moved to Corvallis, Oregon with his wife, Vreneli Regula Marti. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Farber accepted several visiting positions at the University of Washington, Harvard, and the University of London. During this time, he authored his first book, The Emergence of Ornithology as a Scientific Discipline, 1760-1850, and edited Religion, Science, and Worldview: Essays in Honor of Richard S. Westfall. By 1985, he had been made full Professor and appointed to the Chairmanship of the OSU General Science department.
Farber's background in zoology and active interest in ornithology led him to the study of the naturalist tradition from the early 18th century through the 20th with emphasis on the development of systematic methods for cataloging and analyzing the natural world. He also began research into evolutionary ethics and the results of biological evolution on the shaping of psychology and behavior in humans. This work eventually resulted in the publication of Finding Order in Nature: The Naturalist Tradition from Linnaeus to E.O. Wilson and The Temptations of Evolutionary Ethics.
In addition to his research and administrative duties, Farber took an active role in organizing publications and events for the history of science community, serving as an editor and contributor for several journals including the Journal of the History of Biology and Endeavour. After his retirement from Oregon State University in 2008, he was elected to the vice-presidency of the History of Science Society and served a two year term as President beginning in 2010. Dr. Farber has published more than three dozen books, articles, and reviews and received honors and awards from Oregon State University, the Phi Alpha Phi Honor Society, and the History of Science Society. Today, he continues to study the evolution of scientific thought, now with an emphasis on race-mixing in the United States as a social and scientific phenomenon. In 2011, he published From Scientific Racism to Modern Evolutionary Ideas.
Timeline for Paul Farber
| 1944 | Paul Lawrence Farber is born on March 7 in New York City, New York. |
| 1961 | Enters the University of Pittsburgh as a zoology major, minoring in chemistry. |
| 1965 | Graduates from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Zoology. Enters the Master's in History and Philosophy of Science Department at Indiana University. Takes a position as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at Indiana University. |
| 1966 | Marries Vreneli Regula Marti. |
| 1968 | Completes his thesis, "Buffon and Newton's Science," and receives his Master of Arts degree in History and Philosophy from
Indiana University. Begins the doctoral program in the History and Philosophy of Science at Indiana University. |
| 1970 | Earns his Ph.D. with the completion of his dissertation, "Buffon's Concept of Species." Accepts a position as Assistant Professor of the History of Science in the Department of General Science at Oregon State University. |
| 1974 | In the Summer, acts as Visiting Assistant Professor of History of Biology in the Department of Biomedical History at the School
of Medicine, University of Washington. |
| 1975 | Takes a position as Research Assistant in the Department of the History of Science at Harvard University for Summer 1975. |
| 1976 | Receives a promotion to Associate Professor of the History of Science in the Department of General Science at Oregon State
University. Receives the Carter Award for "outstanding and inspirational teaching." Appointed to the Committee on Undergraduate Education of the History of Science of Society. Paul and Vreneli Farber's children, Benjamin Sandler and Channah Marti, are born. |
| 1978 | Takes a temporary position as Visiting Professor in the Department of History of Science and Technology at the Imperial College
in the University of London. Serves a temporary position as Chercheur Associe at the Centre Alexandre Koyre at Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (VI section) in Paris. Elected member of the Council of the History of Science Society. |
| 1982 | Elected Executive Councilor of the West Coast History of Science Society. Publishes The Emergence of Ornithology as a Scientific Discipline, 1760-1850. |
| 1983 | Accepts a temporary position as Visiting Professor in the Department of History at the Northwest Interinstitutional Council
on Study Abroad in London for Winter 1983. Promoted to full professor of History of Science in the Department of General Science, Oregon State University. |
| 1984 | Takes a position as Acting Director of the Humanities Development Program at Oregon State University. Receives the Federal Republic of Germany Friendship Award. Elected Program Coordinator of the Columbia History of Science Group. |
| 1985 | Promoted to Chair of the Department of General Science at Oregon State University. Elected President of the Columbia History of Science Group. With Margaret Osler, co-edits the publication Religion, Science, and Worldview: Essays in Honor of Richard S. Westfall. |
| 1986 | Becomes member of the Board of Directors of the Columbia History of Science Group. Appointed to Program and Meetings Committee of the History of Science Society. |
| 1988 | Accepts position as Visiting Scholar in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge. Named Bye Fellow of Robinson College at the University of Cambridge. Elected Member of the Nomination Committee of Section L of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. |
| 1991 | Takes positions as Chair and Professor of the Department of History and Professor of Zoology at Oregon State University. |
| 1992 | Appointed Co-Program Chairman for the 1993 annual meeting of the History of Science Society. With Michael Mix and Keith King, co-authors Biology: The Network of Life. |
| 1993 | Named OSU Distinguished Professor of History of Science. Appointed Chair of the Committee on Independent Scholars of the History of Science Society. Named member of the Committee on Research and the Profession of the History of Science Society. |
| 1994 | Publishes Finding Order in Nature: The Naturalist Tradition from Linnaeus to E.O. Wilson. |
| 1995 | Elected Member of the Council of the History of Science Society. Named Member of the Nomination Committee of the History of Science Society. |
| 1996 | Named 1996-1997 Dibner Lecturer for the History of Science Society. Serves as the Associate Editor of School Science and Mathematics. Becomes a member of the Phi Alpha Phi Honor Society Elected Secretary of Section L of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. |
| 1997 | Named Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. |
| 1998 | Serves as the Associate Editor of the Journal of the History of Biology. Receives the Excellence Award from the Oregon State University College of Liberal Arts. |
| 1999 | Appointed to the Committee on Honors and Prizes of the History of Science Society. Named Editor of the education column of the History of Science Society Newsletter. |
| 2000 | Elected Secretary of Section L of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Publishes The Temptations of Evolutionary Ethics. |
| 2001 | Appointed Chair of the Committee on Honors and Prizes of the History of Science Society. Accepts a position on the Editorial Board of Endeavour. |
| 2002 | Receives the Office Personnel Association "Boss of the Year Award." Honored with the OSU Alumni Association Distinguished Professor Award. |
| 2003 | Receives the Joseph H. Hazen Education Prize from the History of Science Society. Accepts a position on the Advisory Editorial board of Endeavour. |
| 2004 | Appointed to the Committee on Publications of the History of Science Society. |
| 2006 | Takes position as Editor of the Journal of the History of Biology. Serves as Editor of the Horning Visiting Scholar Publication Series. Accepts a position on the Editorial Board of the Museum History Journal. |
| 2007 | Elected Member of the Site Selection Committee of the International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies
of Biology. |
| 2008 | Retires from Oregon State University under the title Emeritus Distinguished Professor. Elected Vice-President of the History of Science Society. Elected Member of the Steering Committee of Section L of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. |
| 2009 | Becomes a member of the Editorial Board of Studies in the History of Theoretical, Experimental and Quantitative Life Sciences. With Hamilton Cravens, co-edits Race and Science: Scientific Challenges to Racism in Modern America. |
| 2010 | Begins a two-year term as President of the History of Science Society. |
Books by Paul Farber
- Farber, Paul Lawrence. The Emergence of Ornithology as a Scientific Discipline, 1760-1850. Dordrecht: D. Reidel Publishing Co. 1982.
- Osler, Margaret J. and Farber, Paul Lawrence. Religion, Science, and Worldview: Essays in Honor of Richard S. Westfall. Cambridge, England; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press 1985.
- Mix, Michael C., Farber, Paul Lawrence, and King, Keith I. Biology: The Network of Life. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers 1992.
- Farber, Paul Lawrence. Finding Order in Nature: The Naturalist Tradition from Linnaeus to E.O. Wilson. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press 1994.
- Farber, Paul Lawrence. Discovering Birds: The Emergence of Ornithology as a Scientific Discipline, 1760-1850. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press 1997.
- Farber, Paul Lawrence. The Temptations of Evolutionary Ethics. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press 1998.
- Farber, Paul Lawrence and Cravens, Hamilton. Race and Science: Scientific Challenges to Racism in Modern America. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press 2009.
- Farber, Paul Lawrence. Mixing Races: From Scientific Racism to Modern Evolutionary Ideas. Baltimore, Md: The Johns Hopkins University Press 2011.
Arrangement
The Paul Lawrence Farber Papers are unprocessed.
Other Reference Guides
Restrictions on Access
Permission to examine the Paul Lawrence Farber Papers will be granted to qualified researchers upon completion of an "Application for Use" form, and contingent upon the researcher's agreement to abide by the rules and policies governing collection use. See the Use of Collections page for more information.
Restrictions on Use
A portion of the institutional records accessioned on October 18, 2010 are under embargo until January 1, 2016 unless explicit permission for access is granted by Paul Farber.
Technical Access
Physical quality of materials in the Paul Lawrence Farber Papers ranges from good to very good.
Preferred Citation
Courtesy of the Paul Lawrence Farber Papers, Special Collections, Oregon State University Libraries
Processing Information
Unprocessed collection.
Acquisition Information
One box (.5 linear feet) was accessioned from Paul Farber by OSU Libraries Special Collections on March 1, 2010.
Three boxes (1.5 linear feet) were accessioned from Paul Farber by OSU Libraries Special Collections on March 8, 2010.
Two boxes (1 linear foot) were accessioned from Paul Farber by OSU Libraries Special Collections on October 18, 2010.
Four boxes (2 linear feet) were accessioned from Paul Farber by OSU Libraries Special Collections on November 30, 2010.
Four boxes (2 linear feet) were accessioned from Paul Farber by OSU Libraries Special Collections on December 13, 2010.
Two boxes (1 linear foot) and 469 KB of born digital materials were accessioned from Paul Farber by OSU Libraries Special Collections on August 11, 2011.
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