25 Years of Excellence
by Glenn T. Seaborg

One quarter of a century ago, amidst all those other earthshaking events of 1968 that are being commemorated this year, something else of great moment was happening, high on a hill in Berkeley. 1968 was the year that the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS)—the public science, curriculum development, and educational research center of the University of California at Berkeley—was established, as a fitting tribute to the great experimental physicist, Ernest Orlando Lawrence.

In retrospect, it is perhaps appropriate that 1968, a year of so much historic tumult and tragedy, which saw massive upsurges in the name of change and democracy, should also witness the dedication of an institution destined to make important contributions to fostering the activity-based learning that encourages all young people to think for themselves.

The noted British historian of science and authority on Chinese civilization, Joseph Needham, in his book The Grand Titration: Science and Society in East and West comments on the links between science and democracy.

“If someone takes the floor before an audience of scientific men and women, wishing to speak of observations made, experiments carried out, hypotheses formed, or calculations finished, the status of this person as to age, sex, colour, creed, or race, is absolutely irrelevant. Only his or her professional competence as observer, experimentalist, or computer is relevant. The community of co-operating observers and experimenters upon whose activity science is based is fundamentally democratic...


A Grand and Worthwhile Goal

This year, as “the Hall” celebrates its 25th anniversary, I’ve had occasion to look back on my role as one of the main initiators of the institution that I am now fortunate to serve as Chairman. The process that led to the establishment of the Hall was filled with the institutional, bureaucratic, political, and financial negotiation and compromise that, whether we always like it or not, is also a vital part of democracy. I played a major role throughout this ten-year process. As Chancellor I proposed the idea for a Lawrence memorial science museum to the Regents of the University of California in September 1958.

As the effort intensified, important allies and proponents emerged, including then UC Regent Edwin Pauley, former University President Clark Kerr, Professor of Physics Harvey White (who became the first Director of the Hall) as well as many other leading educators, corporate sponsors, officials, and politicians. The full story is far longer and more complex than I could tell in this column—it would include the names of all those who played a part, and would detail the complexities of funding, and the ins-and-outs of governmental and University relations. There were of course debates about location, name, and educational emphasis, topped off by a national architectural competition. During the years just before the Hall’s establishment I left Berkeley to serve as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, but closely followed the efforts of Clark Kerr, Harvey White, and others as plans became reality.

The national architectural competition concluded in 1962 with the selection of Anshen and Allen of San Francisco as the project’s architects—their futuristic “molecule” design was to become a distinctive feature of the Berkeley hills. Nine million dollars was raised, with three million set aside as an initial operating and maintenance endowment. With total construction costs estimated at $12 million, only two of the four planned construction stages could be undertaken. Still, the key parts were intact, and the building would prove to be an impressive accomplishment.

Honored by the invitation to deliver the principal address, I came back to Berkeley from Washington for the Hall’s dedication ceremonies on May 20, 1968. The ceremony was a major event in the University’s Centennial Celebration. It was also one of the happiest and most rewarding moments of my life, to see such a grand and worthwhile goal achieved.

... The Hall, as was Lawrence, is centrally concerned with the young, with science, and with the future. This living memorial is developing new and better ways of teaching science to the young, and is placing these methods in the hands of the teachers of youth. The Hall seeks to bring a better exposure to science to students not only in California but all over the nation... The Hall of Science can also be instrumental in promoting a better understanding of science among the public, thus equipping society better to cope with the accelerating evolution of a technical society...to me this Hall almost exceeds in reality the dream we had nearly a decade ago of a living memorial that would do justice to us all. Its goals are important to all of us, and in physical aspect and surroundings it is inspiring...” (from “The Heritage of E.O. Lawrence—Dreamer in Action,” remarks by Glenn T. Seaborg, May 20, 1968, LHS Dedication Ceremony)


Lasting Contributions

Over the last 25 years LHS has made lasting contributions— innovative research on how children learn; the pioneering Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) followed by a wide range of excellent, influential, and widely-used curricula and special projects; creative exhibitry, classes, and school outreach programs; and, speaking of democracy, a strong contribution to gender equity and the increased participation of historically underrepresented groups in science, engineering and mathematics, through outstanding programs such as EQUALS, Family Math, MESA, SAVI-SELPH, and in many other efforts, large and small.

Today, the Hall, under the direction of renowned educator and brain researcher Marian Diamond, is literally overflowing with innovative programs and plans for the 21st century. The GEMS guides and many other LHS programs have been able to successfully convey the essential elements of the “guided discovery” approach to science and mathematics education and to spell out how that approach can be practically presented, by both veteran and less experienced teachers, to the enormous benefit of all concerned. Learning by doing—activities in which students explore and experiment, as the teacher facilitates with open-ended questions to encourage independent and critical thinking—this effective educational philosophy and practice is the “hallmark” of the Lawrence Hall of Science. This too has its democratic reverberation, for without direct citizen and community “hands-on, minds-on” participation, there cannot be responsive and effective democracy. As Needham puts it:

... There is a real kinship between the scientific mind and the democratic mentality. There is in both cases a basic scepticism—the scepticism of the experimentalist is mirrored by the scepticism of the voter. The Royal Society’s motto Nullius in Verba: take nobody’s word for it; see for yourself; is also that of government by and of the people...Making one’s mind up on the available evidence, deciding for oneself what goal to aim at, weighing the facts from a dozen different quarters, these are characteristics of both the scientist investigating nature, and the democratic citizen taking part in the governance of the State...”


Making Questions Grow

This year, as the Hall marks its 25th anniversary, and as GEMS, rapidly expanding, enters its tenth year, I remain truly inspired by the continuing work and creativity of the entire Hall staff, encouraged by the energy and dedication, amidst difficult conditions, of the growing local, statewide, national and international networks of students and teachers, administrators and school districts, and heartened by the governmental, foundation, and corporate supporters whose vision and support will help meet the challenges of the future. Representatives of LHS and the University of California at Berkeley continue to serve on various state, national, and international commissions and conduct conferences that are helping define new educational directions and ensure access and participation of, by, and for all.

Of course, none of my justifiable pride in the accomplishments of GEMS and the other excellent educational programs developed at LHS is meant to diminish other fine collections of science and math activities that are becoming available. No one group, regional or national organization, or approach, holds some “magic key” that unlocks the potentials of students nationwide—many of these efforts can be highly recommended and combined by teachers in effective and imaginative ways.

For the LHS GEMS program, it is the educational value and joy of learning embodied in the activities themselves that are of paramount importance. Our central concern has been and will remain improving the science and mathematics knowledge and fostering the independent thinking skills of all students. GEMS does not claim to know or present “all the answers.” In fact, one main message is that science itself is a continual questioning process—our investigations lead, not to the so-called “right answer,” but to many more questions! Or, as Thorstein Veblen put it (and as quoted in the GEMS Acid Rain guide) “The outcome of any serious research can only be to make two questions grow where only one grew before.” Making questions grow is what GEMS and the Lawrence Hall of Science are all about—and, we might add, such a harvest is also an essential nutrient of democracy!

*****************

Glenn T. Seaborg is the Chairman of the Lawrence Hall of Science and Principal Investigator of the GEMS Project. He received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1951, sharing the honor with the late Edwin McMillan. He served as Chancellor of the UC Berkeley campus from 1958–1961 and as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission from 1961–1971. He has also been awarded the National Medal of Science.