Assistant professors as ephemera
Whatever happened to logician James Dickoff, who was at the Yale School of Nursing back in the 1960s, and who translated Antoine Arnauld’s The Art of Thinking: The Port Royal Logic as well as producing some rather radical (heh!) work about “situation-producing” theories being more important than “explanation-producing” ones? I know that his co-author Patricia James eventually retired years later as professor emerita of philosophy at Kent State, but whatever happened to him? I tried the Yale School of Nursing without much success: all they could offer were some of his nursing-related publications, which I already knew about. I often say that good theories can outlive their theorists, but I’m not sure that I meant it like this!
Categories: theorywatch
academia
I, too, have wondered about this. Apparently they both moved to Kent State in the 70s; as late as 1997, Dickoff is identified as Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Kent State (source: credits in Nicoll’s “Perspectives on Nursing Theory.” There are a few references to him as Chair at Kent out there on the web as well. After 1997–I have no idea.
A little more digging on the internet: A James W. Dickoff, 84 years old, is listed as living in Kent, OH. His wife is Patricia Ann. I always felt that they were probably a couple–I think there is a good shot that Patricia Ann is Patricia James.
Gotta love the internet. I’ve been curious about them for a long time. I teach nursing theory, and every time I review their work with my class, my interest is piqued again. At least this year I followed up!
@Kathy Robinson
Wow, thank you for sharing this! I’m happy to hear that, while his status as “assistant professor” was ephemeral, it is simply because they both moved on from Yale— and up the academic ladder at Kent State.
@Kathy Robinson
Hi Kathy Robinson,
Dr. James Dickoff has since died, Dr.Patricia James [his wife]
is still active in academia, her e mail is camsuu@yahoo.com if you would like to e mail her. She would enjoy hearing from her former students.