Got a PhD in history of ideas and science from the University of Chicago. Taught at U of Chicago, U of Maryland, U of Denver, and U of Colorado at Boulder. Also at Hebrew University, Jerusalem. In 1965, he joined the English department at the University of Denver where he stayed until retirement. His book ''The Nobel Prize: A History of Genius, Controversy, and Prestige'' (Arcade, 2000) was appreciated by many.