Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
Date of Award
12-2011
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
History
First Advisor
Dr. Amy Hay
Second Advisor
Dr. Christopher Miller
Third Advisor
Dr. David DeVorkin
Abstract
Otto Struve (1897-1963) came to the United States in 1921 and became one of the dominant personalities in the field of astrophysics. Struve’s career made him, in the words of sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, a “first mover” in a scientific field that was firmly engaged in the process of what Thomas Kuhn called “normal science.” Struve pulled astrophysics further away from its empirical roots in categorization and made it more like physics in its unification of theory and observation. The primary way that he accomplished this was through his administration of Yerkes and McDonald observatories, where he brought in theorists to work directly with observers. He also helped to set barriers for entry into the field that emphasized greater knowledge of mathematics, physics, and theory. He also influenced the field through his editorship of The Astrophysical Journal, and through his own prolific publication of both scholarly and popular articles.
Granting Institution
University of Texas-Pan American
Comments
Copyright 2011 Erik Norquest. All Rights Reserved.
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