An associate professor of history in the Department of History of Science at Princeton University, Gordin earned an A.B. and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. He has published articles on a variety of topics, such as the introduction of science into Russia in the early 18th century, the history of biological warfare in the late Soviet period, the relations between Russian literature and science, and a series of studies on the life and chemistry of Mendeleev, formulator of the periodic system of chemical elements. He is also the author of Five Days in August: How World War II Became a Nuclear War, a history of the atomic bombings of Japan, and a coeditor of the four-volume Science and Society: The History of Modern Physical Sciences in the Twentieth Century.

About the Neville Prize
The Roy G. Neville Prize in Bibliography or Biography, established in 2006, is presented annually by the Chemical Heritage Foundation to recognize an outstanding monograph in the areas of the chemical and molecular sciences. The objective of this prize is to encourage emulation, inspire achievement, and promote public understanding of modern sciences, industries, and economies.

The Neville Prize recognizes either:

• a monograph that contributes to our bibliographical knowledge of the chemical and molecular sciences, in the tradition inaugurated by Henry Carrington Bolton and exemplified in the lifetime achievement of Roy G. Neville; or
• a major work of biography in the chemical and molecular sciences.

In order to be considered for nomination, the work must have been published during a period of five calendar years immediately preceding the year of competition. The Neville Prize may not be received in absentia, except under extraordinary conditions as approved by the president of CHF. The recipient is expected to deliver an address at the award ceremony. The author of the winning monograph receives a cash prize, a certificate, and travel expenses to accept the award.


About Roy G. Neville
Acquiring and cataloging the books in the Roy G. Neville Historical Chemical Library at CHF has been the life’s work for Roy Neville. A consulting chemist by profession, in 1973 he founded the corporation Engineering and Technical Consultants in Redwood City, California, of which he was president. He is also a passionate bibliophile by avocation. Neville began collecting books almost 60 years ago and amassed one of the largest private collections of rare books in the fields of science and technology, and chemistry in particular.
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About Henry Carrington Bolton
Henry Carrington Bolton (1843–1903) was a chemist, historian, academic, bibliophile, and renowned bibliographer of chemistry. Bolton documented the period 1492–1902 in his Select Bibliography of Chemistry, creating the definitive list of chemical books published during these 500 years. This massive reference work, listing more than 15,000 titles in chemistry, was published by the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., in 1893, with supplements in 1899, 1901, and 1904. Join the Bolton Society!