Beach discusses the role and impact of the "Scientific Lazzaroni," an informal group of scientists and science supporters centered around Joseph Henry (1797-1878), first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and Alexander Dallas Bache, head of the Coast and Geodetic Survey. The group named themselves after a group of Italian beggars, and focused on gaining government support for American science in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Contained within:
Nineteenth Century American Science: A Reappraisal (Contained within)