Thomas L. Hankins papers

Thomas L. Hankins papers, 1964-2000

Overview of the Collection

Creator

Hankins, Thomas L

Title

Thomas L. Hankins papers

Dates

1964-2000 (inclusive)

Quantity

9.69 cubic feet (11 boxes)

Collection Number

5186

Summary

Writings, research, correspondence, course files, committee files, and lecture materials of Thomas Hankins, a Professor of History at the University of Washington, Seattle

Repository

University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu

Access Restrictions

Open to all users.

Request at UW

Languages

English, French

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Thomas Leroy Hankins is Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington Department of History. He was born September 9, 1933. He earned a B.S. in physics from Yale in 1956, an M.A.T. from Harvard in 1958, and a Ph.D. in history from Cornell in 1964. Hankins began his service at the University of Washington as an assistant professor in the History Department in 1964. He was promoted to associate professor in 1969 and full professor in 1975. Hankins retired in 2000. From 1971 to 1973 he also served as associate chairman of the History Department. He served on the History Department Curriculum Committee and numerous search committees.

Hankins specialized in the history of science, focusing on 18th-19th century mathematical physics and scientific biography. He was an active member of the History of Science Society, acting as advisory editor of the Society's quarterly journal Isis from 1976 to 1980, and as contributing editor to the Society's annual journal Osiris. He also served as the Publications Committee chair for the History of Science Society from 1987 to 1989. Hankins was active in the international community of historians of science, serving as chair of the United States National Committee for the International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science from 1983 to 1985.

Hankins' publications include: Jean d'Alembert: Science and the Enlightenment; Science and the Enlightenment; Sir William Rowan Hamilton; and Instruments and the Imagination (with Robert Silverman).

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Writings, research, correspondence, course files, committee files, and lecture materials related to Thomas Hankins' career as a professor and historian of science.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Organized into 2 accessions.

Accession No. 5186-001, Thomas L. Hankins papers, 1964-2000
Accession No. 5186-002, Thomas L. Hankins papers, 1965-1994

Processing Note

Processed in 2005-2006 by Eric Anderson and Daniel Waters.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Accession No. 5186-001: Thomas L. Hankins papers, 1964-2000Return to Top

9 cubic feet (9 boxes)

Scope and Content: The Thomas L. Hankins papers document Hankins' research, teaching, and publishing activities during his 36 years as professor of history at the University of Washington. The papers contain material relating to his publications as well as unpublished research. His research files concern both technical and social aspects of science history. They provide insight into the development of his publications on the 18th century French mathematician and physicist Jean Le Rond d'Alembert, and Enlightenment era science. They also describe the 10 years of research and correspondence that culminated in Hankins' intellectual biography of 19th century Irish mathematician Sir William Rowan Hamilton. The Hankins papers document his relationship with the History of Science Society and its journal Isis—as a committee member, a book and article reviewer, and an article contributor. The collection also reveals a collaborative project, with David C. Lindberg among others, to develop a history of science textbook for college courses, which was ultimately aborted.

Hankins was an energetic promoter of history of science research both at the University of Washington and internationally. These papers document his views on graduate education in history, his course topics and teaching style, and his support of an interdisciplinary degree program for History of Science, Technology and Medicine at the University of Washington. They also afford a glimpse into the mechanics of promoting and organizing an international conference of historians and philosophers of science that united researchers from both sides of the "iron curtain" in the early 1980s.

The papers include correspondence with a wide array of historians, scientists, philosophers, and friends. They contain writings, course files, university and departmental committee files, History of Science Society, and International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science-United States National Committee records.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Thomas Hankins in 2000.

Arrangement: Arranged into 6 series:

Personal and professional papers, 1964-2000
University of Washington committee files, 1977-1991
University of Washington History Department records, 1964-1991
Columbia History of Science Group records,1986-1995
History of Science Society records, 1965-1993
International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science, United States National Committee records, 1978-1988

Container(s)		Description	Dates
		Series 1: Personal and Professional Papers	1964-2000
Box/Folder	Accession
1/1	5186-001	Biographical Information	undated
		General Correspondence Scope and Content: Writings from various authors are included with correspondence in some folders.
Box/Folder	Accession
1/2-38	5186-001	A-L	1965-1998
2/1-30	5186-001	Mc-Z Scope and Content: Folder 22 includes one photograph of Hankins with Marina Tolmacheva and an unidentified person in the background, Friday Harbor, Washington, 1990.	1965-1998
2/31	5186-001	American Philosophical Society Library	1974-1977
2/32-33	5186-001	Badash, Lawrence	1970-1972
2/34	5186-001	Bauman, Harold	1965, 1967
2/35	5186-001	Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (Stanford)	1984, undated
2/36	5186-001	De Villafranca, George W.	1968
2/37	5186-001	Farrar, Lancelot	1973-1975
2/38	5186-001	Federico, P. J.	1975-1980
2/39-40	5186-001	Goslin, David	1983-1985, 1988
2/41-42	5186-001	Greenberg, John Leonard	1973, 1981, 1983-1986, 1988
2/43	5186-001	Guerlac, Henry	1965, 1968-1973
3/1	5186-001	Hahn, Roger	1965-1972, 1983-1984
3/2	5186-001	Hindle, Brooke	1984-1985
3/3	5186-001	Historical Studies in the Physical Sciences	1982, 1986
3/4	5186-001	Hogness, John R.	1974-1975
3/5	5186-001	Holl, Jack M.	1974-1975
3/6-7	5186-001	Hunt, Bruce J.	1980-1987
3/8	5186-001	International Academy of the History of Science	1993-2000
3/9	5186-001	The Johns Hopkins University Press	1978-1980
3/10	5186-001	Kargon, Robert	1965-1975, 1982, 1984, 1993
3/11	5186-001	Katz, Solomon	1977-1979, 1983
3/12	5186-001	KCTS/9	1981-1982
3/13	5186-001	Kuhn, Thomas	1967-1969
3/14	5186-001	Lindberg, David C.	1966
3/15	5186-001	Machamer, Peter K.	1972-1973
3/16	5186-001	May, Kenneth O.	1968-1970
3/17	5186-001	Odegaard, Charles E.	1969-1973
3/18	5186-001	Pitt, Joseph C.	1992-1995
3/19	5186-001	Porter, Roy S.	1974-1978, 1994
3/20	5186-001	Pyenson, Lewis	1977-1983
3/21	5186-001	Richards, Joan L. Scope and Content: Includes writings of Joan L. Richards.	1978-1979, 1988, 1994
3/22	5186-001	Roberts, David	1964-1966
3/23	5186-001	Schwab, Richard N.	1966-1968
3/24	5186-001	Scott, Wilson L.	1968, 1972
3/25	5186-001	Shapere, Dudley	1967-1970
3/26	5186-001	Sokal, Michael M.	1979-1989
3/27	5186-001	Spitzer, Paul	1968-1971
3/28	5186-001	Stacey, Robert C.	1992-1997
3/29	5186-001	Strickland, Stuart	1991-1992
3/30	5186-001	Tenner, Edward	1982, 1989, 1991
3/31-32	5186-001	Terrall, Mary	1986-1993
3/33	5186-001	Turner, G. L'E	1989, undated
3/34	5186-001	University of Hawaii	1978-1980
3/35	5186-001	Van de Wetering, Maxine and John	1966, 1968-1970
3/36	5186-001	Van Helden, Albert	1989
3/37-38	5186-001	Voisé, Waldemar Scope and Content: Includes writings of Waldemar Voisé.	1964-1965, 1967, 1983
3/39	5186-001	Weiner, Charles	1972-1973
3/40	5186-001	Westfall, Richard S.	1976, 1982-1983
3/41	5186-001	Williams, L. Pearce	1981, 1987, 1991-1997
3/42	5186-001	Woolf, Harry	1970-1973
		General Correspondence Regarding
Box/Folder	Accession
3/43	5186-001	18th Century Mathematics	1982-1986
3/44	5186-001	Bouvet and Leibniz Correspondence Project	1978-1981
3/45	5186-001	Coleridge, Samuel Taylor	1974, undated
3/46-48	5186-001	D'Alembert book	1966-1973
3/49	5186-001	Evans, James	1982-1986
3/50-51	5186-001	Greene, Mott T.	1974-1995, undated
3/52-54	5186-001	Hamilton, William Rowan, Sir Scope and Content: Includes communication with A.P.W. Malcomson, John W. H. O' Regan, William O' Sullivan, Helena Pycior, Patrick A. Wayman, and Jacqueline Wehmueller.	1972-1979
4/1-2	5186-001	Hamilton, William Rowan, Sir	1972-1979
4/3	5186-001	Hanford Project	1981, 1984-1985
4/4	5186-001	Jean Scott Prize	1992-1993
4/5	5186-001	Kilcup, Rodney W.	1978-1981
4/6	5186-001	Oeuvres de D'Alembert	1991, 1993
4/7	5186-001	Salmon, Wesley C. (Danz Lectureship)	1978-1979
4/8	5186-001	Sloan, Phillip	1977-1979, 1990
4/9	5186-001	University of British Columbia History Workshop	1971
		Interdepartmental Correspondence Regarding
Box/Folder	Accession
4/10	5186-001	Academic Programs (History of Science, Technology, and Medicine)	1987-1988, 1994, 1996, undated
4/11	5186-001	Academic Program Board	1981
4/12	5186-001	Alumni Vacation College	1978, undated
4/13	5186-001	Film Forum	1977
4/14-16	5186-001	John and Jessie Danz Lectureship	1973-1983, undated
4/17	5186-001	Katz Lecture	1988
4/18	5186-001	Nakayama, Shigeru lecture	1982, undated
		Speeches and Writings Scope and Content: Also includes correspondence.
Box/Folder	Accession
4/19	5186-001	1788 Exposition at the Musee de la Revolucion Francaise	1987-1988
4/20	5186-001	CHANCE Article	1998-1999, undated
4/21-22	5186-001	D'Alembert, Jean Le Rond Scope and Content: Contains writings on other 18th century natural philosophers, as well as various aspects of 18th century physics.	undated
4/23	5186-001	Hamilton Chapter for Trinity College Dublin	1979, 1981-1983
4/24-35	5186-001	History of Science Textbook Project Scope and Content: Folder 4/27 includes an undated photograph of Hankins, David C. Lindberg, and four unidentified persons.	1984-1991, undated
5/1-2	5186-001	History of Science Textbook Project	1984-1991, undated
5/3	5186-001	"History of Science: The Creation of a Discipline"	undated
5/4-5	5186-001	Newton's Legacy (Symposium)	1987-1989
5/6	5186-001	"Personality, Metaphysics and Mathematics in the life of Sir William Rowan Hamilton"	1980
5/7	5186-001	Edit of an article for Random House Encyclopedia Microsoft Version	1993, undated
5/8-10	5186-001	Science and the Enlightenment Scope and Content: Includes 2 transparencies. One 8x10 of the tree of knowledge from D'Alembert and Diderot's Encyclopédie of 1750, and one 3x5 of Lavoisier conducting an experiment on human respiration.	1977-1988, 1990, undated
5/11	5186-001	Sir William Rowan Hamilton	1980, 1986, undated
5/12-13	5186-001	William Rowan Hamilton Scope and Content: Contains notes and bibliography on works relating to Hamilton.	undated
5/14	5186-001	"William Rowan Hamilton-- A Portrait on Paper"	1984-1985
5/15	5186-001	William Rowan Hamilton Lecture Discourse	1985
		Speeches and Writings of Others
Box/Folder	Accession
5/16	5186-001	"Growth and Diversity in the Organization of American Learning" by Dael Wolfe	1983, 1986-1987, undated
5/17	5186-001	Miscellaneous	1971, 1979, undated
		Course Files
Box/Folder	Accession
5/18	5186-001	20th Century European History	1969, 1972, undated
5/19	5186-001	Bibliography and Syllabi	1968, 1970-1971, 1982, 1993
5/20-21	5186-001	Comparative History of Ideas 390	1991, 1992, undated
5/22	5186-001	Exams	1971, 1974, 1981, 1986, 1993
5/23	5186-001	Field Course	1982, undated
5/24	5186-001	Films	1977, 1980
5/25	5186-001	The German Bomb	1976, undated
5/26	5186-001	German History	1969, 1971-1972
5/27	5186-001	History 192	undated
5/28	5186-001	History 192 Readings	undated
5/29-31	5186-001	History 215	1986-1987, 1993, undated
5/32	5186-001	History 215 Lecture Notes	1973-1974
6/1	5186-001	History 215 Lecture Notes	1973-1974
6/2	5186-001	History 215 Correspondence and Miscellaneous	1970-1976, 1984-1985
6/3-5	5186-001	History 215 Readings	undated
6/6	5186-001	History 310	1977, 1984, 1991, 1993
6/7	5186-001	History 310 Course Syllabi	1991, 1993, 1995,
6/8	5186-001	History 310 Midterm and Final Exams	1979, 1980, 1984-1985, 1991, 1993, 1995, undated
6/9-10	5186-001	History 312 Lecture Notes	1985, 1989, 1991, 1994-1996
6/11	5186-001	History 312 Midterm Examination	1966, 1969, 1977, 1985-1987, 1991, 1994, undated
6/12-13	5186-001	History 312 Readings	1984-1985, 1989
6/14	5186-001	History 313	1985, 1987-1989
6/15	5186-001	History 390	1995
6/16	5186-001	History 411	1973, 1976, 1980, 1981, undated
6/17-18	5186-001	History 411 Readings	undated
6/19	5186-001	History 412	undated
6/20	5186-001	History 418	1973, 1980-1981, undated
6/21	5186-001	History 490 H and History 491 H	undated
6/22	5186-001	History 498	undated
6/23	5186-001	History 512	undated
6/24	5186-001	History 520- Enlightenment	undated
6/25	5186-001	History of Science 18th Century	1982, undated
6/26	5186-001	History of Science Lecture Series (Continuing Education)	1981-1982, undated
6/27	5186-001	Index Cards	undated
6/28	5186-001	The Manhattan Project and the Origins of 'Big Science'	undated
6/29-30	5186-001	Miscellaneous	1987, undated
6/31	5186-001	Notes of Visiting Lectures	undated
Box/Folder	Accession
6/32	5186-001	Course Files of Others	undated
6/33-35	5186-001	Reviews of Proposed Publications	1967-1987, undated
		Reviews
Box/Folder	Accession
7/1	5186-001	D'Alembert Biography	1970-1971, undated
7/2	5186-001	Hamilton Biography	1980-1983
7/3	5186-001	Science and the Enlightenment	1985-1987
Box/Folder	Accession
7/4	5186-001	Notes	undated
7/5	5186-001	Grant Files	1969, undated
7/6	5186-001	Newsletter of the International Council of Scientific Unions	1984
		Subject Files
Box/Folder	Accession
7/7	5186-001	Atomic Bomb	1979, undated
7/8	5186-001	Disney, Catherine Scope and Content: Relates to Hamilton research, and includes copies of manuscripts dated 1834 and 1854, as well as the following reproductions of a painting of Catherine Disney: one 35mm color slide, one 3x5 color slide, and three 5x7 color prints.	undated
7/9	5186-001	Friends of the Georgetown Steam Plant	1980, 1985, undated
7/10-11	5186-001	Humanities Faculty Seminar	1980-1981, undated
7/12-13	5186-001	Lakeside School Year Round Facility Use Task Force	1981-1982, undated
7/14	5186-001	Manhattan Project	undated
7/15	5186-001	Travel Plans	1972
Box/Folder	Accession
7/16-17	5186-001	Ephemera	1969, 1971, 1973, 1977, 1984, 1985, undated
7/18	5186-001	Miscellany	1980, 1983, undated
		Clippings
Box/Folder	Accession
7/19	5186-001	Early 20th Century Physics Scope and Content: Includes photocopies of physics articles from 1898-1914	1961, undated
7/20	5186-001	University of Washington History of Science Program	1986, 1987, undated
7/21	5186-001	Miscellaneous	undated
		Series 2: University of Washington Committee Files	1977-1991
Box/Folder	Accession
7/22-24	5186-001	University of Washington, College Studies Program Executive Committee Scope and Content: Contains communication with Hazard Adams.	1987-1991
7/25	5186-001	University of Washington, Committee on Classified and Proprietary Research Review	1977, 1981, undated
7/26	5186-001	University of Washington, Committee on Science and Technology Policy Seminars	1983-1986
7/27	5186-001	University of Washington, Comparative History of Ideas Executive Committee	1983-1987
7/28	5186-001	University of Washington, Department of Biomedical History Chairman Search Committee	1986
7/29	5186-001	University of Washington, Department of Medical History and Ethics Assistant Professor Search Committee	1988
7/30	5186-001	University of Washington, Distinguished Teaching Awards Committee	1981-1982
7/31-32	5186-001	University of Washington, Engineering Group (Social Management of Technology Program)	1973, 1977-1978
7/33	5186-001	University of Washington, Germanics Department Chairman Search Committee	1977
7/34	5186-001	University of Washington, Humanistic-Social Studies Department Search Committee	1980
7/35	5186-001	University of Washington, Professor of the Humanities Search Committee	1979
		Series 3: University of Washington History Department Records	1964-1991
Box/Folder	Accession
7/36-37	5186-001	Interdepartmental Correspondence Regarding History of Science Program	1984-1991
		Intradepartmental Correspondence
Box/Folder	Accession
7/38	5186-001	Miscellaneous	1980, undated
7/39	5186-001	Bologna Seminar	1987
		Committee Files
Box/Folder	Accession
7/40	5186-001	Chairman Search Committee	1971
7/41	5186-001	Graduate Studies Committee	1972
7/42-44	5186-001	Salary Committee	1981, undated
7/45-46	5186-001	Undergraduate Curriculum Committee	1973-1975
Box/Folder	Accession
8/1	5186-001	Bulletins	1970-1972
8/2	5186-001	Faculty Biographies	1971, undated
		Subject Files
Box/Folder	Accession
8/3	5186-001	Budget Requests	1973-1975
8/4	5186-001	Course Assignments	1972-1973
8/5-8	5186-001	Departmental Affairs	1964, 1970-1972, 1977-1978, 1988, undated
		Series 4: Columbia History of Science Group Records	1986-1995
Box/Folder	Accession
8/9	5186-001	Newsletters	1986-1995
8/10	5186-001	Conferences and Conventions Files	1987
8/11	5186-001	Miscellany	1988, undated
		Series 5: History of Science Society Records	1965-1993
		General Correspondence
Box/Folder	Accession
8/12-13	5186-001	Holton, Gerald	1983-1985
8/14-18	5186-001	Isis	1965-1985
8/19	5186-001	The Johns Hopkins University Press	1989
8/20-22	5186-001	Osiris	1984-1989
8/23	5186-001	Osiris Survey	1987-1988
8/24	5186-001	Pergamon Press	1989
8/25	5186-001	Price, Derek J. de Solla	1965
8/26	5186-001	Princeton University Press	1989
8/27	5186-001	University of California Press	1989
8/28	5186-001	University of Cambridge Press	1989
8/29	5186-001	University of Chicago Press	1989
8/30	5186-001	University of Wisconsin Press	1989
		General Correspondence Regarding
Box/Folder	Accession
8/31	5186-001	Cincinnati Meeting	1988
8/32	5186-001	Critical Bibliography and Pricing	1982, 1988-1989
8/33	5186-001	History of Mathematics	1992-1993
8/34	5186-001	History of Science Society Dinner	1977-1978
8/35	5186-001	History of Science Society Guide	1988
8/36	5186-001	Frank James Case	1988-1989
8/37	5186-001	Meeting at Toronto	1980, undated
8/38	5186-001	Reading Group	1984-1986
8/39	5186-001	Teaching Guides	1989
8/40	5186-001	Online Critical Bibliography	1989
8/41-42	5186-001	University Press Options	1988-1989
		Committee Files
Box/Folder	Accession
8/43	5186-001	International Committee	1985
8/44-45	5186-001	Long Range Planning Committee	1978-1981
8/46	5186-001	National Planning Committee	1984, undated
8/47-48	5186-001	Pfizer Award Committee	1996
9/1-5	5186-001	Publications Committee	1988-1989
Box/Folder	Accession
9/6-8	5186-001	Budget Files	1988-1989
		Series 6: International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science, United States National Committee Records	1978-1988
Box/Folder	Accession
9/9	5186-001	Organizational Information	1983, undated
		General Correspondence
Box/Folder	Accession
9/10	5186-001	McMullin, Ernan	1982-1983
9/11	5186-001	Widgor, Alexandra K.	1983-1984
9/12-18	5186-001	Miscellaneous	1978-1985
		General Correspondence Regarding
Box/Folder	Accession
9/19	5186-001	1984 Meeting	1984-1985
9/20	5186-001	Funding	1985
9/21	5186-001	Statutes and Rules of Procedure of the History and Philosophy of Science	1984-1985
9/22-24	5186-001	Study Committee	1985-1986, 1988
Box/Folder	Accession
9/25	5186-001	Minutes of the Annual Meeting	1984-1985
		Conference and Convention Files
Box/Folder	Accession
9/26	5186-001	XVIth International Conference of History of Science	1981
9/27-30	5186-001	XVIIth International Conference of History of Science	1983-1985
Box/Folder	Accession
9/31	5186-001	Report to the General Assembly	1985
9/32	5186-001	Newsletters	1982-1985
9/33	5186-001	Bulletins	1981
		Subject Files
Box/Folder	Accession
9/34	5186-001	Expenses	1978-1979, 1983-1985
9/35-36	5186-001	Fund Raising	1984
9/37	5186-001	General Assembly	1983-1985

Accession No. 5186-002: Thomas L. Hankins papers, 1965-1994Return to Top

0.69 cubic feet (2 boxes)

Scope and Content: Correspondence, "Soloman Katz Distinguished Lecturers in the Humanities Series" materials for his lecture "Instruments and the Imagination," lecture scripts and notes, writings, and correspondence regarding the Instruments issue of "Osiris." Many of the papers relate to lectures and papers about Jean Le Rond d'Alembert.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Judy Peterson, History Dept., 2007-07-18

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

College teachers--Washington (State)--Seattle--Archives
Historians--Washington (State)--Seattle--Archives
Science--Historiography--Research
Science--History--18th century--Research
Science--History--19th century--Research

Personal Names

Alembert, Jean Le Rond d', 1717-1783
Hamilton, William Rowan, Sir, 1805-1865
Hankins, Thomas L.--Archives

Corporate Names

History of Science Society
International Union of the History of Science and Philosophy. United States National Committee

Form or Genre Terms

Administrative records
Correspondence
Research (document genres)
Writings

Other Creators

Corporate Names
- University of Washington University Archives

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

University Archives/Faculty Papers (University of Washington)

Archives West Finding Aid

Table of Contents