Laporte, Léo F. (Author)
George G. Simpson (1902-1984) had an enormously successful career for some fifty years during the middle of the twentieth century. Owing to his great intellect, especially his deep analytic skill and broad synthetic insight as well as his single-minded persistence, he produced a large body of published work that became an integral part of modern evolutionary theory. His high level of scientific achievement can be gauged by the number and quality of his publications, his institutional affiliations, his honors and awards, and the recognition he received in mainstream popular culture.1 Because Simpson was arguably the leading paleontologist of the last century and a major contributor to the `modern evolutionary synthesis' I informed him of my biographical interest and asked for a personal interview. I sought further permission to interview his family, colleagues, and former students. For all interviews, I prepared a dozen leading questions, but also allowed interviewees to decide what was important. I encouraged tangential remarks and hence surprising insights were revealed. If possible, I corroborated what the interviewees told me; I did not take everything at face value. I always kept the emphasis on the content and character of Simpson's scientific accomplishments, avoiding `psycho-biography.' I visited archives for unpublished documents---relevant personal letters, photographs, notes, newspaper clippings---and checked school and university records. I traveled to places where he grew up, attended school, was employed, and did field work. I divided the work into stand-alone articles, beginning with the easier and more obvious ones. I published these serially so they could later be revised, reassembled, and crafted into the final larger, unified biography. Doing research and writing in this way, I kept the longer-term project moving forward, making necessary course corrections as I went along. I thus established my credibility, advanced the research, and expanded the sources of information. Piece-meal publication satisfied deans and made possible a graceful escape if the project stalled, or I lost interest. However, seeing my work in print further motivated me to complete the task. Reviews were very positive, but sales more disappointing. Un succès estime!? (Laporte 2000a).
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Book
Laporte, Léo F.;
(2000)
George Gaylord Simpson. Paleontologist and Evolutionist
(/isis/citation/CBB000100395/)
Article
David Sepkoski;
(2019)
The Unfinished Synthesis?: Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology in the 20th Century
(/isis/citation/CBB603354866/)
Article
David Ceccarelli;
(2021)
“The bad habit of wandering”: Morgan, Osborn and the issue of evolutionary causality in genetics and paleontology
(/isis/citation/CBB874691467/)
Article
Cain, Joe;
(2002)
Epistemic and Community Transition in American Evolutionary Studies: The “Committee on Common Problems of Genetics, Paleontology, and Systematics” (1942--1949)
(/isis/citation/CBB000202895/)
Thesis
Paton, Miranda Vierra;
(2008)
Vertebrate Paleontology and the Evolutionary Synthesis, 1894--1944
(/isis/citation/CBB001560692/)
Article
Catalá Gorgues, Jesús I.;
(2013)
Miquel Crusafont, George Simpson y la internacionalización de los estudios de paleontología evolutiva en España
(/isis/citation/CBB001213576/)
Article
Cain, J.;
(2004)
Short Notes: Missing Items from Published Bibliographies for George Gaylord Simpson
(/isis/citation/CBB000501171/)
Thesis
Swetlitz, Marc;
(1991)
Julian Huxley, George Gaylord Simpson and the idea of progress in 20th-century evolutionary biology
(/isis/citation/CBB001562949/)
Article
Laporte, Léo F.;
(1983)
Simpson's Tempo and mode in evolution revisited
(/isis/citation/CBB000002295/)
Article
Journet, Debra;
(1995)
Synthesizing disciplinary narratives: George Gaylord Simpson's Tempo and mode in evolution
(/isis/citation/CBB000066392/)
Article
Aronson, Jay D.;
(2002)
`Molecules and Monkeys': George Gaylord Simpson and the Challenge of Molecular Evolution
(/isis/citation/CBB000501160/)
Chapter
Ruse, Michael;
(1999)
Evolutionary ethics in the 20th century: Julian Sorell Huxley and George Gaylord Simpson
(/isis/citation/CBB000083344/)
Chapter
Hagen, Joel B.;
(2009)
Descended from Darwin? George Gaylord Simpson, Morris Goodman, and Primate Systematics
(/isis/citation/CBB001022521/)
Article
Laporte, Léo F.;
(1994)
Simpson on species
(/isis/citation/CBB000036620/)
Article
Cain, J.;
(2003)
A Matter of Perspective: Multiple Readings of George Gaylord Simpson's Tempo and Mode in Evolution
(/isis/citation/CBB000340396/)
Article
Kolchinskii, E.I.;
Liubomirov, D.I.;
(1989)
Vklad Dzh. G. Simpsona v formirovanie i razvitie sinteticheskoi teorii evolutsii. (G.G. Simpson's contribution to the foundation and development of the synthetic theory of evolution)
(/isis/citation/CBB000063392/)
Article
Delisle, Richard G.;
(2011)
What Was Really Synthesized during the Evolutionary Synthesis? A Historiographic Proposal
(/isis/citation/CBB001023986/)
Book
Regal, Brian;
(2002)
Henry Fairfield Osborn: Race and the Search for the Origins of Man
(/isis/citation/CBB000201525/)
Article
Lloyd, Elisabeth A.;
(2002)
Memorium for Stephen Jay Gould
(/isis/citation/CBB000202573/)
Book
Emling, Shelley;
(2009)
The Fossil Hunter: Dinosaurs, Evolution, and the Woman Whose Discoveries Changed the World
(/isis/citation/CBB001031283/)
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