Harriet Zuckerman papers, 1887-2014, bulk 1963-1992

Harriet Anne Zuckerman, PhD was born in New York City. She was the daughter of Harry Zuckerman, MD, a diplomat of the American Board of Pediatrics, professor of pediatrics at the French and Polyclinic Medical School and Health Center, and Director of the Medical Arts Hospital. Her mother Anne Weiner Zuckerman was a registered nurse.

Dr. Zuckerman received her A.B. degree with honors from Vassar College (1958) and her masters and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University (1965), where she was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow (1958-59).

She began her academic career at Barnard College, New York City as a Lecturer in Sociology, (1964-65). From 1965 to 1972, she was an Assistant Professor at Columbia University and Project Director at Bureau of Applied Social Research. Dr. Zuckerman was an Associate Professor from 1972 to 1978. Beginning in 1978, she became a full Professor of Sociology. She also chaired the Sociology department in the period 1978-1982. In 1991, Professor Zuckerman joined the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, of which she is the Senior Vice President. Zuckerman's research has focused on the social organization of science and scholarship. She is the author of the 1977 book, Scientific Elite: Nobel Laureates in the United States. This book, in addition to being a study of the scientific elite, constitutes a fascinating introduction to the phenomenon of multiple discoveries, particularly in science and technology. Its findings, particularly in relation to "accumulation of advantage", are relevant to the question of eminence, exceptional achievement, and greatness. Zuckerman was married to the late sociologist of science, Robert K. Merton. Merton credited Zuckerman with discovering the Matilda effect a bias against acknowledging the achievements of those women scientists whose work is attributed to their male colleagues. Zuckerman is also the co-author of the Matthew effect. The Matthew effect, which takes its name from the Parable of the talents or minas in the biblical Gospel of Matthew, can be observed in many aspects of life and fields of activity. It is sometimes summarized by the adage "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer." The concept is applicable to matters of fame or status, but may also be applied literally to cumulative advantage of economic capital.

In addition to her groundbreaking research on scientific elites, Dr. Zuckerman has also written collaboratively with Yehuda Elkana and Joshua Lederberg in the volume, Toward a Metric of Science: The Advent of Science Indicators (Wiley, 1978); (Editor with Roberta B. Miller, and contributor) Science Indicators: Implications for Research and Policy ( Social Science Research Council, 1980); (Editor with Jonathan R. Cole and John T. Bruer) The Outer Circle: Women in the Scientific Community (Norton, 1991).

Work represented in anthologies, in turn, include: Surveying Social Life: Papers in Honor of Herbert H. Hyman, edited by Hubert J. O'Gorman, Wesleyan University Press, 1988; Handbook of Sociology, edited by Neil Smelser, Sage Publications, 1988; and Creativity and Discovery in Biomedical Sciences, edited by K. McNaughton, Royal Society of Medicine, 1991.

Dr. Zuckerman has also contributed articles and reviews to such periodicals as Science Digest, Nature, Scientific American and the World Book Encyclopedia. She has been a member of editorial board, American Sociological Review, 1971-74 and 1987--, American Journal of Sociology, 1972-74 and 1977- 79, Values and Ethics in Health Care, 1972-86, Social Sciences Citation Index, 1972--, Scientometrics, 1977--, Sociological Inquiry, 1981-89, Science, 1985-86, Knowledge and Society, 1986--,Scientific Prospect, 1986--, and Science, Technology, and Human Values, 1988--.

Dr. Zuckerman has also served with distinction as: Dean's Distinguished Lecturer at College of Physicians and Surgeons (1982), Chair of the Sociology Department (1978-82). Sigma Xi, National Lecturer (1975-76); Rockefeller University, adjunct member of faculty, beginning 1979; Harvard Medical School, Kass Lecturer (1984); University of Notre Dame, Exxon Series Lecturer (1986); Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Nicholas C. Mullins Lecturer (1989). Social Science Research Council, member of board of directors (1974-76); Annual Reviews, Inc., member of board of directors, beginning 1974; Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, member of board of trustees, 1976-81 and 1982-88, vice-chair, 1979-81 and 1990-92; SIAM Institute for Mathematics and Society, member of board of directors (1980-87); ISI Press, member of board of directors, beginning 1985; John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, member of educational advisory board, 1986--, member of selection committee, beginning 1988; Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, senior adviser, beginning 1989, vice-president, beginning 1991. International Union for the History and Philosophy of Science, member of Commission for Science Policy Studies (1971-74); Conference Board of Associated Research Councils, co-chair of Advisory Committee on the Study of the Quality of Doctoral Research Programs (1972-78); National Science Foundation, member of Advisory Committee on Ethical and Human Value Implications of Science and Technology (1973-77); Social Science Research Council, member of Advisory Committee on Social Indicators (1974-78); member of Committee on Scholarly Communication With the People's Republic of China (1979-81); American Council of Learned Societies, member of advisory committee, American Studies Program (1980-82); National Academy of Sciences, member of Government-University-Industry Roundtable, beginning 1987, member of film committee, beginning 1988; member of Planning Group on Initiatives for Improving the Representation of Women in Science and Engineering, a joint committee of the National Research Council and National Academy of Sciences (1988). American Savings Bank, member of board of directors and Consultant to American Institute of Physics.

Over the course of her professional career, Dr. Zuckerman has been the recipient of many honors including being named a Woodrow Wilson Fellow (1958-59); a visiting scholar at the Russell Sage Foundation (1971-72) and (1985-87); a Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences Fellow (1973-74); an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow (1979); a Guggenheim Fellow (1981-82); and an American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow (1985).

She is also a longstanding member of the International Sociological Association (member of board of directors, Research Committee on the Sociology of Science (1982-86), American Association for the Advancement of Science (member of board of directors (1980-84); member of executive committee (1981-84); chair of Section on Social and Economic Science (1989-92)), American Sociological Association (member of council, 1981-84), Council on Foreign Relations, Society for the Social Study of Science (president (1989-91)), Sociological Research Association (fellow), Women's Forum (member of board of directors (1989-91)), Eastern Sociological Association.