Benjamin Silliman played a unique role in American science before the Civil War. In his various roles as a professor at Yale, as editor of the American Journal of Science, and as a public lecturer in every major city, he taught science to the whole nation. He established science as a regular part of college education and helped to found graduate education to train professional scientists for the new nation. Primarily a teacher, Silliman exerted his influence through a remarkable circle of students, colleagues, and friends. This book examines their aims and ideals, and details the historical process by which Silliman and his associates worked to create a scientific community in the United States.

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