Descriptive Entry

The papers of Nathan Reingold document his research on the history of American science, his professional activities, and his careers at the National Archives and Records Service, Library of Congress, and Smithsonian Institution. Included is incoming and outgoing correspondence, 1952-1991, with colleagues, publishers, administrators, professional organizations, students, and personal acquaintances concerning research interests, letters of recommendation, the review of manuscripts and grant applications, the publication of articles and books, official duties, and professional activities; correspondence, memoranda, manuscripts, drafts, talks, reports, minutes, and published materials documenting Reingold's membership and activities in numerous professional organizations, and on various councils, committees, and advisory boards including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Isis Editorial Advisory Board, Panel for the History and Philosophy of Science of the National Science Foundation, and Rockefeller Archive Center Council; and correspondence, memoranda, notes, microfilm, drafts, manuscripts, and related materials from his research on the history of American science, particularly his books Science in Nineteenth-Century America, a Documentary History, 1964, and Science in America, a Documentary History, 1900-1939, 1981, and his studies of Joseph Henry, Alexander Dallas Bache, and science and public policy in nineteenth-century Great Britain. Researchers should also consult Record Unit 9503, Nathan Reingold Interview, 1973.

Historical Note

Nathan Reingold (1927-2004), historian of American science, received B.A. (1947) and M.A. (1948) degrees from New York University and the Ph.D. (1951) from the University of Pennsylvania. He was on the staff of the National Archives and Records Service from 1951 to 1959 and at the Library of Congress from 1959 to 1966. In 1966 Reingold was appointed editor of the Joseph Henry Papers at the Smithsonian Institution. He continued in the position until 1985, when he was appointed senior historian in the National Museum of American History (NMAH). After his retirement in 1993, Reingold became historian emeritus at NMAH.

Reingold has researched and published extensively on the history of science in the United States. He is the author of Science in Nineteenth-Century America, A Documentary History, 1964; Science in America since 1820, 1976; Science in America, A Documentary History, 1900-1939, 1981; and Science American Style: Selected Writings of Nathan Reingold, 1991.