William D. Stansfield

Background

William D. Stansfield was born on February 7, 1930, in Los Angeles, California, United States.

Education

William Stansfield began his studies at California Polytechnic State College (now California Polytechnic State University) where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1952 and a Master of Arts degree in 1960. He continued his studies at the University of California, Davis, and obtained a Master of Science degree in 1962 and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1963.

Career

William Stansfield did his military service in the United States Navy Reserve in 1953-1967. He began his career as a high school teacher of vocational agriculture in 1958 working in this position till 1959. In 1963 he joined California Polytechnic State University as a faculty member in biological sciences where he became a professor. In 1992 he was made a professor emeritus at this university. From 1998 till 1999 he was also a technical services representative and consultant at JBL Scientific (now Promega).

Stansfield was also known as the author of textbooks on evolution and serology/immunology and co-author of a dictionary of genetics. His first book was Schaum's Theory and Problems of Genetics, published in 1969. The seeds for writing the famous book, Death of a Rat: Understandings and Appreciations of Science, were sown as a consequence of Stansfield's assignment to teach a graduate course in the history of biology. The book was planned to serve as an example of the kinds of questions and case histories suitable for analyses in such a class. However, he retired before it could be completed for the intended purpose. Then he saw that such a book, with some revisions, might be of great interest and value to a broader audience of inquisitive minds in the general adult population.

Critics of the educational system challenged scientists to come out of their ivory towers of research and academia to educate the general public about the importance of their work to society, how science should be done, and the roles a scientifically literate public can play in the advancement of science, as well as to encourage more youngsters to pursue careers in science. In retirement, William decided to complete Death of a Rat as a contribution to those goals. Royalties from the book go to support the work of the National Center for Science Education.

The subjects treated in Death of a Rat were selected primarily because of their relevance to public concerns about scientific issues such as fetal cell research, animal rights, scientific ethics, creation science, etcetera, and/or because of the innate human interest in stories such as how Mendelian genetics came to be outlawed in the USSR, the hoax of the Piltdown man, the squabble over the discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the hit list of laboratories contaminated with the cultured cell line known as HeLa, and the cold fusion fiasco. Perhaps the person who provided the greatest inspiration for the writing of Death of a Rat was James Watson in The Double Helix, his book about the discovery of the structure of DNA.

Stansfield's other writings include The Science of Evolution, Serology and Immunology: A Clinical Approach, and Schaum's Outline of Theory and Problems of Molecular and Cell Biology written with Jaime S. Colome and Raul J. Cano. He also contributed to encyclopedias and periodicals, including the Journal of Heredity.

Achievements

• William Stansfield was particularly known as a professor of the biological sciences department of California Polytechnic State University. While in the position, he was respected by his students as well as colleagues. He also became famous as the author whose books received much recognition from readers, scholars, and reviewers.

Works

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• book

  • Schaum's Outline of Theory and Problems of Molecular and Cell Biology

    (Schaum's Outlines present all the essential course inform...)

    1996
  • Death of a Rat: Understandings and Appreciations of Science

    (With this intriguing opening geneticist and science write...)

    2000
  • Schaum's Outline of Theory and Problems of Genetics 1969
  • The Science of Evolution 1977
  • Serology and Immunology: A Clinical Approach 1981

Membership

William D. Stansfield was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, National Center for Science Education, and Sigma Xi.

Connections

William Stansfield was married to Janis Stansfield. The marriage produced three children: Lorrie Golden, Lynn Stansfield, and Bill Stansfield Jr.

Wife:

Janis Stansfield