Edwin Emery SLOSSON

Male 1865 - 1929  (64 years)


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  • Name Edwin Emery SLOSSON  [2, 3, 4, 5
    • Edwin Emery Slosson (7 June 1865 - 15 October 1929) was an American magazine editor, author, journalist and chemist. He was the first head of Science Service, and a notable popularizer of science.

      Family background and education

      Edwin Emery Slosson was born in Albany, Kansas, the son of William Butler Slosson and his wife, the former Achsah Louise Lilly. His parents were pioneers who had moved from New York State to Kansas in 1857. William Slosson ran the first general store in Albany. A supporter of free state status for Kansas, he helped to organize a branch of the Underground Railroad and ran a "station" where escaping slaves were sheltered.[1][2]

      Edwin Slosson attended Leavenworth High School for three years and travelled in Europe before entering the University of Kansas. He majored in chemistry and was a member of both Sigma Xi and Phi Beta Kappa.[3] After obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in 1890, he remained at the University of Kansas as a graduate student, studying chemistry, physics, geology and psychology. He was awarded a Master of Science degree in 1892.[4] Slosson was offered a fellowship in psychology at Clark University, but chose instead to accept a position as Assistant Professor of chemistry at the University of Wyoming because it paid well enough to allow him to marry.[5] He married May Gorslin Preston at Centralia, Kansas on August 12, 1891.[4]

      University of Wyoming

      From 1891 to 1903 Edwin Slosson lived in Laramie, Wyoming, where he taught chemistry at the University of Wyoming and carried out chemical research at the Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station, which was associated with the University. He also acted as state chemist. His main areas of research were alkali in Wyoming soils and petroleum. His observations on these and other subjects, including food adulteration and the fuel value of prepared cereals, were published in numerous bulletins of the Experiment Station.[6][7] He participated as a special demonstrator in chemistry at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.[3]

      Slosson taught all the chemistry courses at the University of Wyoming and taught popular extension courses in chemistry to community members. He also taught a course in experimental psychology and lectured on photography to the local Camera Club. During the summer vacations he studied organic chemistry at the University of Chicago, working under Julius Stieglitz and John Nef. He completed his doctoral dissertation and was awarded his Ph.D. degree magna cum laude in 1902.[3][8]

      The Independent

      While living in Laramie, Slosson had contributed articles to The Independent, a weekly magazine published in New York City. After his doctoral studies, he spent the summer of 1903 in New York, working as an unpaid assistant to Hamilton Holt, the magazine's editor and publisher. He returned to Laramie in the fall, but when Holt offered him the position of literary editor on The Independent he accepted the offer and moved with his family to New York in 1904.[3]

      He was connected with The Independent until 1920 as literary or managing editor and contributor.[9] He wrote many articles for the magazine and his journalism formed the basis for several books. On behalf of the magazine, he travelled around the United States visiting universities and visited Europe to interview leading philosophers and writers, including Henri Bergson, H.G. Wells, and Ernst Haeckel. The resulting articles were collected and published as Great American Universities (1910), Major Prophets of Today (1914) and Six Major Prophets (1916).[1][5]

      His many articles for The Independent about scientific topics won him a reputation as a leading popularizer of science. His book Creative Chemistry, published in 1919, was a collection of articles about industrial applications of chemistry. It was his most successful publication and became a bestseller, with 200,000 copies sold by 1929.[5] It was still being used in high school and college chemistry courses in the early 1940s.[3] In 1920 he published another collection, Easy Lessons in Einstein, explaining the theory of relativity to a non-scientific audience. From 1912 to 1920 he taught a course on physical science for journalists at the Pulitzer School of Journalism.[5]

      Science Service

      In 1920, the biologist William Emerson Ritter invited Slosson to become the first head of Science Service, which was being organized by Ritter and the newspaper publisher E.W. Scripps with the aim of improving the general public's understanding of science by providing scientific news to daily newspapers.[10] Slosson accepted Ritter's job offer, and in January 1921 he moved to Washington, D.C., where Science Service's offices were located in the National Research Council building.[11]
      Slosson, whose official title at Science Service was Editor, was responsible for organizing and staffing the agency. His initial efforts were concentrated on promoting and developing science journalism by the means of a weekly syndicated news service called Science News Bulletin.

      Slosson described Science Service as "a sort of liaison officer between scientific circles and the outside world".[12]Science News Bulletin was well received and in September 1922 it began to be issued to newspapers and magazines daily rather than weekly.[10] Also in 1922, Science Service started publishing Science News Letter, a weekly magazine for sale to individuals.

      Watson Davis, an engineer at the National Bureau of Standards and part-time science journalist who had been submitting articles to Science News Bulletin since it was established, became managing editor of Science Service in January 1923.[11] Davis's assistance and the growing success of the agency allowed Slosson to devote more of his time to writing, lecturing and travelling.[1] He contributed many articles to Science News Letter and other magazines including Collier's Weekly, and published five more books during the last decade of his life. He made his first radio broadcast at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in 1924, and in June of that year Science Service collaborated with the National Research Council to establish a weekly series called Science News of the Week. These radio broadcasts featured scientists talking about their work. Slosson also travelled extensively as a news correspondent for Science Service, in 1923 joining an expedition by astronomers to Mount Wilson Observatory in California to observe a solar eclipse.[11]

      When Slosson died of heart disease on October 15, 1929 in Washington, he was "easily the outstanding interpreter of sciences to the non-technical public", according to the Dictionary of American Biography.[4] [1]
    Birth 07 Jun 1865  Albany, Kansas Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 4, 5
    Gender Male 
    Census 1880  Living with parents in Silver Cliff, Custer Co., Colorado Find all individuals with events at this location  [6
    Census 1900  Living in Laramie, Albany County, Wyoming Find all individuals with events at this location  [7
    Occupation 1900  [7
    Professor - University 
    Census 1910  Living in Manhatten, New York Co., New York Find all individuals with events at this location  [8
    Census 1920  Living in Manhatten, New York Co., New York Find all individuals with events at this location  [9
    Occupation 1920  [9
    Editor - Magazine plant 
    Death 15 Oct 1929  Washington, District of Columbia Find all individuals with events at this location  [5
    Notes 
    • Post-em note received by Diana Lineman

      Note:
      Non-relative, but have this marriage info from The Sabetha Herald of Sabetha,Kansas of Friday August 14, 1891:

      SLOSSON-PRESTON.---At Centralia,KS Wednesday morning
      August 12, 1891 by Rev. A. C. Hogbin, assisted by
      Rev. A. S. Bush, Mr. Edwin E. slosson and Miss May Preston. ..among the best known in Sabetha, the bridegroom being a native of the vicinity and having lived here until a few years ago, the bride having taught one year as assistant principal in the Sabetha high school.... Festivities of the day were...wedding breakfast at the home of bride's mother, Mrs. M. G. Preston..at nine o'clock a.m. ...wedding..conducted by Rev. A. C. Hogbin, brother-in-law of the bride...Bryant Preston..best man... ...carriages were taken for Seneca at which piont the cars were boarded for Laramie, Wyoming, where the bridegroom has lately been installed as professor in the state University, where will be their home.

      Among the guests....M/M C. L. Sherwood, M/M F. E. Graham,
      M/M Lyman Lilly and children, M/M Sam Slosson and children, Mrs. E. F. Bouton, Miss Rosa Bouton, Mrs. Emily Slosson, Foster Lilly, Rev. and Mrs. A. C. Hogbin, and M/M W. B. Slosson were present from New Birmingham, Texas (The W.B. Slosson's were instrumental in establishing that new city-referred to as a "boom".)

      See the following:
      1900 Laramie WY census ED 7
      1910 Manhattan NY census ED 721
      WW I Registration of Preston W Slosson
      1920 Manhattan NY census ED 956
      1930 Ann Arbor MI census

      end

      From: "Who's Who In America":

      SLOSSON, Edwin Emery, editor; b. Albany, Kan., June 7, 1865; s. William B. and Louise (Lilly) S.; B.S. U. of Kan., 1890, M.S. 1892; Ph.D., U. of Chicago, 1902; m. May Preston (Ph.D., Cornell), of Centralia, Kan., Aug. 12, 1891. Prof. chemistry, U. of Wyo., and chemist, Wyo. Agrl. Expt. Sta., 1891-1903; Lit. editor The Independent, 1903-20; dir. of Science Service. Fellow A.A.A.S.; mem. Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, Washington Acaad. Sciences. Clubs: Authors (New York) Cosmos (Washington). Author: Great American Universities, 1910; Major Prophets of Today, 1914; Six Major Prophets, 1917; Creative Chemistry, 1919; Easy Lessons in Einstein, 1920; The American Spirit in Education, 1921; Plots and Personalities, 1922; Chats on Science, 1923. Home: 1739 Lanier Pl. Office: 1115 Conn. Av., Washington, D.C.
    Person ID I52645  Main Tree
    Last Modified 8 Oct 2020 

    Father William Butler SLOSSON,   b. 02 Nov 1835, Maine, Broome County, New York Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Relationship Birth 
    Mother Achsah Louise LILLY,   b. 18 Mar 1836, Castle Creek, Broome Co., New York Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 13 Oct 1906, Castle Creek, Broome County, New York Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 70 years) 
    Relationship Birth 
    Marriage 13 Mar 1860  [4, 5
    Family ID F05542  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family May Genevieve PRESTON,   b. 10 Sep 1858, New York, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 26 Nov 1943, Ann Arbor, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 85 years) 
    Marriage 12 Aug 1891  Centralia, Kansas Find all individuals with events at this location  [5, 10
    Children 
     1. Preston William SLOSSON,   b. 02 Sep 1892, Laramie, Wyoming Find all individuals with events at this locationd. May 1984, Knox, Clarion County, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 91 years)  [Birth]
     2. Raymond Alfred SLOSSON,   b. 08 Jan 1894, Laramie, Wyoming Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Sep 1900, Laramie, Wyoming Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 6 years)  [Birth]
    Family ID F13900  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 07 Jun 1865 - Albany, Kansas Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 12 Aug 1891 - Centralia, Kansas Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsCensus - 1900 - Living in Laramie, Albany County, Wyoming Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsCensus - 1910 - Living in Manhatten, New York Co., New York Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsCensus - 1920 - Living in Manhatten, New York Co., New York Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Sources 
    1. [S03581] Wikipedia Encyclopedia.

    2. [S03338] Slosson 11-20-00 Greene.FTW.
      Date of Import: Jan 6, 2001

    3. [S01649] A Genealogical Memoir of Nathaniel Slosson of Kent & His Descendants, 1696-1872.

    4. [S03340] Slosson Genealogy by D. Williams Patterson.

    5. [S03336] Slason-Slauson-Slawson-Slosson Family by George C. Slawson dated 1946.

    6. [S00726] 1880 Census Silver Cliff, Custer County, Colorado.

    7. [S00880] 1900 Census Laramie, Albany County, Wyoming.

    8. [S01100] 1910 Census Manhatten, New York County, New York.

    9. [S01302] 1920 Census Manhattan, New York County, New York.

    10. [S03663] WorldConnect: Post-em note from Diana Lineman.