ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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How do you define "science museum?" A wide definition might include  
the following:

1. If Natural History counts there are a lot to choose from. Don't  
know how many are independent agencies. Just off the top of my head I  
know that University of Florida, Oklahoma, Colorado, Harvard, Emory,  
and Yale all have Natural History Museums. I am sure there are lots  
more.


2. If Medicine is considered, the University of Maryland at Baltimore  
has:

      Pharmacy Museum
      Nursing Museum
      National Museum of Dentistry (web: www.dentalmuseum.org)

Of these three only the Dental Museum is what I would call a mature,  
professional museum. The other two are mostly just collections and  
limited exhibitions and interpretation.

2. There is also the Perry-MacMillan Arctic Museum at Bowdoin in Maine http://www.bowdoin.edu/arctic-museum/

3. Try the Harvard Collection of Scientific Instruments. It is a  
museum in all but name with both a collections and an ongoing  
exhibition schedule. I deeply doubt they are independent, though. They  
are institutionally connected to Harvard's Department of the History  
and Philosophy of Science. http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~hsdept/chsi.html

4. Lastly there is the Robert C. Williams Paper Museum at Georgia Tech  
as part of their  Institute of Paper Science and Technology. Yes it is  
about the craft and art of paper, but science and technology too. http://ipst.gatech.edu/amp/

5. You also did mention whether you wanted just American museums or  
were considering international institutions. The question of  
independence is the same, but 501(3)c clearly doesn't apply and so  
there are different financial, political, economic  and tax  
implications. But you might start with the Museum of the History of  
Science at Oxford University http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/

And if you open it up to international Natural History Museums, quite  
frankly the sky is the limit.


Good luck.

Matthew White



On Jun 10, 2008, at 10:28 PM, [log in to unmask] wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
> institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
>
> Hello. I was wondering if you know of any science museums that are  
> located at universities, but still maintain their autonomy and
> 501(c)3 status. Any and all info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
>
> Liz Nohra, Executive Director
> Children's Museum of the Valley
> Youngstown, Ohio
>
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