Noel Swerdlow, one of the ‘greatest scholars’ of the history of science, 1941-2021 – UChicago News

Swerdlow was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1988, and was twice appointed as a member of the Institute for Advanced Study. He was also a member of the American Astronomical Society and the International Astronomical Union, professional societies which bring together astronomers and other experts.

He was a highly independent mind, and he was willing to rethink assumptions people had made for a really long time, said Anthony Grafton, the Henry Putnam University Professor of History at Princeton University, who was a student in Swerdlows very first undergraduate class at UChicago and remained a lifelong friend and colleague. When he examined a text, he could imagine his way into possible interpretations that other people simply didnt see.

Swerdlow was also known for his passion and charisma in the classroom and as a mentor. He was an extraordinary teacher and an incredibly generous person, to whom I owe more debts than I can list, said Grafton, AB71, AM72, PhD75. If someone was passionate about the scholarship, Noel would put in immense amounts of time to make their work even deeper and stronger. Scholars around the world, as well as his own students, learned an immense amount from him.

Though he occupied an unusual position in the astronomy department as its only historian, Swerdlows UChicago colleagues said his presence influenced how they thought.

He was the consummate scholar, said Michael Turner, the Bruce V. and Diana M. Rauner Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and Astrophysics at UChicago. Noel was enormously respected in the Department of Astronomy. Talking with him impressed upon me a newfound appreciation for the history of sciencea humility for its scope and a sense of progression, that it is a long-term and team effort.

Rigorous inquiry only begins to describe Swerdlows work in the history of the exact sciences, said Rocky Kolb, Arthur Holly Compton Distinguished Service Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago and Swerdlows longtime colleague and friend. Whether the study of obscure Babylonian clay tablets or the well-studied works of Nicolas Copernicus, Swerdlows books and papers brought to light the underappreciated mathematical sophistication of ancient astronomers.He was a great influence on his colleagues in the Department of Astronomy, infusing us all with a deeper understanding of our predecessors in the quest to understand the heavens.

Swerdlow shared an appreciation for these ancient scientists with many colleagues in the astronomy department, but particularly Nobel laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, the famed astrophysicist known for his work on black holes. Swerdlow and Chandrasekhar co-authored several articles on ancient astronomers.

In addition to his scholarship, Swerdlow loved music and was a regular opera attendee and music listener. Encyclopedic doesnt begin to do justice to his knowledge of performances and recordings of the great symphonies and operas of the 18th and 19th centuries, Grafton said.

After retiring, he moved to California, where he continued research at Caltech as a visiting associate professor in history from 2010 to 2018.

He is survived by his wife, Nadia Swerdlow; son Dorian Swerdlow, daughter-in-law Fiona and granddaughter Julia; and brother Lanny Swerdlow and partner Victor.

A memorial is planned; details will be announced later this fall.

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Noel Swerdlow, one of the 'greatest scholars' of the history of science, 1941-2021 - UChicago News