Roy G. Neville Prize in Bibliography or Biography
William Brock
2009 Winner: William H. Brock
For his 2008 biography of William Crookes
The Chemical Heritage Foundation is pleased to honor William H. Brock’s book, William Crookes (1832–1919) and the Commercialization of Science with the third annual Roy G. Neville Prize in Bibliography or Biography. The prize was awarded on Thursday, 15 October 2009, during the Chemical Heritage Foundation’s Board Dinner.
About William Brock
William Hodson Brock was born in Brighton, England in 1936. He graduated from University College London in 1959, and then took a graduate course in the history and philosophy of science at the University of Leicester and was appointed a lecturer in the subject a year later. He was awarded a doctorate for a study of the chemical career of William Prout in 1966, subsequently expanded into the book, Protyle to Proton (1985). In the 1960s Leicester developed an interdisciplinary graduate studies program in Victorian Studies and, in addition to teaching and researching in history of science, Brock directed the Victorian Studies Center between 1966 and 1990. He retired in 1998 and moved back to the south coast of England where he continues to write.
In twelve books and over one hundred papers, Brock has concentrated on four principal areas of research: the history of chemistry, the social history of Victorian science and mathematics the development of scientific education, and the development of scientific periodicals. An early interest in 19th-century skeptical attitudes towards atomism led to a collection of essays with D. M. Knight and D. Dallas, The Atomic Debates (1967). Following a visit to Germany in 1973, Brock became interested in the careers of Justus Liebig and his pupil, August Wilhelm Hofmann. The edition of their correspondence, Liebig und Hofmann in ihren Briefen (1841-1873), was published in German in 1984, and the biography Justus von Liebig: The Chemical Gatekeeper appeared in English in 1998 and in German two years later. His best-known work, The Norton History of Chemistry (1992/1993) has been translated into Spanish, Polish, German and Japanese. Brock has had a long association with the Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry, both as editor of its journal Ambix (1968-83) and as its chairman (1993 to 2006). He was awarded the ACS’s Dexter Prize for the History of Chemistry in 1995.
Also see:
- “Scientific Journeys
An interview with William Brock for Distillations about William Crookes’ investigations into spiritualism.
About the Neville Prize
The Roy G. Neville Prize in Bibliography or Biography, established in 2006, is presented annually by the Chemical Heritage Foundation to recognize an outstanding monograph in the areas of the chemical and molecular sciences. The objective of this prize is to encourage emulation, inspire achievement, and promote public understanding of modern sciences, industries, and economies.
The Neville Prize recognizes either:
- a monograph that contributes to our bibliographical knowledge of the chemical and molecular sciences, in the tradition inaugurated by Henry Carrington Bolton and exemplified in the lifetime achievement of Roy G. Neville; or
- a major work of biography in the chemical and molecular sciences.
In order to be considered for nomination, the work must have been published during a period of five calendar years immediately preceding the year of competition. The Neville Prize may not be received in absentia, except under extraordinary conditions as approved by the president of CHF. The recipient is expected to deliver an address at the award ceremony. The author of the winning monograph receives a cash prize, a certificate, and travel expenses to accept the award.
About Roy G. Neville
Acquiring and cataloging the books in the Roy G. Neville Historical Chemical Library at CHF has been the life’s work for Roy Neville. A consulting chemist by profession, in 1973 he founded the corporation Engineering and Technical Consultants in Redwood City, California, of which he was president. He is also a passionate bibliophile by avocation. Neville began collecting books almost 60 years ago and amassed one of the largest private collections of rare books in the fields of science and technology, and chemistry in particular.
About Henry Carrington Bolton
Henry Carrington Bolton (1843–1903) was a chemist, historian, academic, bibliophile, and renowned bibliographer of chemistry. Bolton documented the period 1492–1902 in his Select Bibliography of Chemistry, creating the definitive list of chemical books published during these 500 years. This massive reference work, listing more than 15,000 titles in chemistry, was published by the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., in 1893, with supplements in 1899, 1901, and 1904.
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