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Bassam Z. Shakhashiri Christmas Lecture Collection

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Held at: Science History Institute Archives [Contact Us]315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Science History Institute Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Bassam Z. Shakhashiri is a Lebanese chemistry educator. Born in 1939, Shakhashiri emigrated to the United States with his parents in 1957. He received his bachelor's degree (1960) from Boston University, before going on to earn his Master of Science (1964) and Ph. D. (1968) degrees in the field of Chemistry at the University of Maryland. After accepting a postdoctoral position from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he taught at the University of Illinois for two years as a junior faculty member. In 1970, Shakhashiri joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he served as the William T. Evjue Distinguished Chair for the Wisconsin Idea until his retirement in 2021.

A prolific lecturer and educator in the field of chemistry, Shakhashiri has been a stalwart advocate of celebrating science education for all ages. He presently serves as the director of the Wisconsin Initiative for Science Literacy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an organization focused on promoting and encouraging science literacy through the production of lecture series such as the "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakhashiri" Christmas broadcast. Shakhashiri has also published several books dedicated to scientific engagement and education.

Shakhashiri has been an active member of the National Science Foundation since joining the society in 1962 and served as its assistant director for Science and Engineering Education from 1984 to 1990. He also served as president of the American Chemical Society in 2012 after being elected President-Elect in 2011. While president of the American Chemical Society, he enacted a commission dedicated to promoting graduate level education in chemical sciences. Shakahashiri has also been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the George C. Pimentel Award in Chemical Education (1986) from the American Chemical Society. Sources

Bassam Z. Shakhashiri Christmas Lecture Collection, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Bassam Z. Shakhashiri Christmas Lecture Collection contains an assortment of materials concerning the "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakhashiri" and "Once Upon a Springtime Cheery in the Lab of Shakhashiri" lecture series from 1970 to 2011. Included in the collection are documents explaining the purpose and context of the Christmas lectures delivered by Shakhashiri at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 33 DVD recordings of individual lectures from 1970 to 2011, and programs for individual lectures in the series.

The Bassam Z. Shakhashiri Christmas Lecture Collection was donated to the Science History Institute by Bassam Z. Shakhashiri in November 2012.

Publisher
Science History Institute Archives
Finding Aid Author
Finding aid created and encoded into EAD by Sean Cureton.
Finding Aid Date
2023
Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes and the collection is open to the public.

Use Restrictions

The Science History Institute holds copyright to the Bassam Z. Shakhashiri Christmas Lecture Collection. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Collection Inventory

DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 2011 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 1
"Communicating Science via Demonstration," an excerpt from Chemical Demonstrations: A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry, Volume 5, University of Wisconsin Press, 2011.
Box 1 Folder 2
"Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakhashiri" Introductory Materials, 2012 August.
Box 1 Folder 3
"Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakhashiri" Programs, 1989-2010.
Box 1 Folder 4
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1973 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 5
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1974 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 6
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1975 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 7
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1980 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 8
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1982 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 9
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1983 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 10
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1985 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 11
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1986 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 12
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1987 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 13
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1989 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 14
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1990 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 15
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1991 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 16
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1992 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 17
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1993 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 18
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1994 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 19
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1996 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 20
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1997 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 21
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1998 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 22
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1999 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 23
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 2000 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 24
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 2001 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 25
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 2002 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 26
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 2003 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 27
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 2004 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 28
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 2005 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 29
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 2006 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 30
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 2007 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 31
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 2008 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 32
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 2009 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 33
DVD – "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 2010 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 34
DVD – "Once Upon a Springtime Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1986 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 35
DVD – "Once Upon a Springtime Cheery in the Lab of Shakashiri" – 1987 Lecture, undated.
Box 1 Folder 36
Science is Fun in the Lab of Shakhashiri Flyer, Wisconsin Initiative for Science Literacy, 2012.
Box 1 Folder 37

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