The British Society for the History of Science (BSHS) was founded in 1947 by Francis Butler, Joan Eyles and Victor Eyles.
Overview It is Britain's largest learned society devoted to the history of science, technology, and medicine. The society's aim is to bring together people with interests in all aspects of the field, and to publicise relevant ideas within the wider research and teaching communities and the media. Its mission statement states the society will strive "to foster the understanding of the history and social impact of science, technology and medicine in all their branches in the academic and the wider communities, and to provide a national focus for the discipline."
Publications are a key feature of the society's professional activity. Print publications include: The British Journal for the History of Science (BJHS): a peer-reviewed quarterly academic journal, including articles and reviews of the latest books in the history of science, technology and medicine BJHS Themes: a peer-reviewed open access academic journal, an annual themed collection of articles Viewpoint: magazine of the society, published three times a year and featuring news and views from across the field BSHS Monographs: work of lasting scholarly value that might not otherwise be made available, and aids the dissemination of innovative projects advancing scholarship or education in the field Other publications are online, including the BSHS List of Theses, and the BSHS Guide to Institutions.
The society also awards several prizes: The Singer Prize, awarded every two years for an unpublished research essay by new scholars The BSHS Hughes Prize, awarded every two years to the best history of science book written for a popular audience The BSHS Slade Prize, awarded between 1999 and 2009 for studies of conceptual innovation or scientific methodology The BSHS John Pickstone Prize, awarded every two years to the best scholarly history of science book written in English
Presidents Presidents from the Society's founding up to 1997 are reported by Janet Browne in a British Journal for the History of Science article. 1946–48 Charles Joseph Singer 1949–51 J. R. Partington 1951–53 Frank Sherwood Taylor 1953–55 H. Hamshaw Thomas 1955–57 Herbert Dingle 1957–62 E. Ashworth Underwood 1962–64 Thomas Martin 1964–66 Alistair Cameron Crombie 1966–68 Alfred Rupert Hall 1968–70 G. J. Whitrow 1970–72 W. P. D. Wightman 1972–74 John Anthony Chaldecott 1974–76 Maurice P. Crosland 1976–78 D. W. Waters 1978–80 William Hodson Brock 1980–82 Robert Fox (historian) 1982–84 Jack B. Morrell 1984–86 Gerard L'Estrange Turner 1986–88 Colin A. Russell 1988–90 Robert G. W. Anderson 1990–92 Hugh S. Torrens 1992–94 Geoffrey Cantor 1994–96 D. M. Knight 1996–98 John Hedley Brooke 1998–2000 Ludmilla Jordanova 2000–01 James Arthur Bennett 2002–03 Janet Browne 2004–06 Peter Bowler 2006–08 Frank James 2008–09 Jeff Hughes 2010–12 Sally Horrocks 2012–14 Hasok Chang 2014‒16 Gregory Radick 2016–18 Patricia Fara 2018–20 Tim Boon 2020–22 Charlotte Sleigh 2022–24 James A. Secord 2024–present Chiara Ambrosio
Wikipedia The society hosted an editathon at their annual conference in July 2015 at Swansea, which included wiki–skills training, and which resulted in better content on British scientists on Wikipedia.
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