Re: [Cheiron-Forum:3225] Digest for cheiron-forum@googlegroups.com - 5 updates in 2 topics
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Mark Solovey
Jan 7, 2026, 1:45:11 PMJan 7
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I'm sorry to hear this sad news too. I remember Mike well, starting with the very first conference I presented at, which, appropriately was Cheiron in I believe 1991. (Ben Harris, another long-time Cheironian, was the one guilty of convincing me to submit a
paper proposal.) Mike was friendly and supportive, which was reassuring to me, a slightly nervous and slightly bewildered grad student just beginning to work on my PhD. After the conference, held somewhere in Massachusetts (Springfield?), Mike gave me a ride
to a friend's house in Worcester, not far from where Mike himself lived. That was above and beyond the call of duty. But he didn't hesitate for a second, insisting that we would have a lot to talk about. And we did. I will miss him alot.
Mark Solovey
From: cheiro...@googlegroups.com <cheiro...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 7, 2026 12:55 PM
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Subject: [Cheiron-Forum:3225] Digest for cheiro...@googlegroups.com - 5 updates in 2 topics
Sent: Wednesday, January 7, 2026 12:55 PM
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Subject: [Cheiron-Forum:3225] Digest for cheiro...@googlegroups.com - 5 updates in 2 topics
| Phyllis Wentworth <phyllisw...@yahoo.com>: Jan 06 11:47PM
Yes, as I read this news I was remembering Mike's warmth, too. In my experience he personified the Cheironian spirit of high standards, coupled with generosity. Deb Coon kindly introduced me to him when I was a graduate student at UNH, and from that point on, I could walk into a conference space and know that Mike would widen his circle for me and others, regardless of where we were in our programs / careers. in gratitude, Phyllis Wentworth On Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 12:21:52 PM EST, John Carson <jsca...@umich.edu> wrote: Such sad, sad news. Mike was a wonderful guy who tried to see the best in everyone and showed real enthusiasm for a vast array of intellectual projects. His scholarship on Cattell remains important and his work as an indefatigable organizer was critical not only to establishing history of the social/behavioral/human sciences as a legitimate scholarly pursuit but really to the whole field of the history of science. His warm smile and presence will be deeply missed. john John Carson he/him/his Associate ProfessorDirector of Undergraduate Studies, UM-STS Program Department of History | University of Michigan 1029 Tisch Hall | 435 S State St | Ann Arbor, MI | 48109-1003 Phone: 734-647-7378 | Email: jsca...@umich.edu Student meetings: https://calendly.com/jscarson/student-consultations "We acknowledge that the University of Michigan was formed and has grown on the homelands of the Niswi Ishkodewan Anishinaabeg: The Three Fires People who are the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi, along with their neighbors the Seneca, Delaware, Shawnee, and Wyandot nations.” On Jan 6, 2026, at 10:32 AM, davidrobinson19732 <davidrobi...@gmail.com> wrote: The Sokal family contacted Leila Zenderland to tell her that Michael M. Sokal (80) passed away peacefully at home on December 18; she asked me to pass the word to others. Mike had serious health issues for quite a long time and was incapacitated these past few months. Mike Sokal was one of the founding members of Cheiron in 1968-69; he appears in that famous photo as a young grad student who looks like a teenager. He was the founding editor of the journal, History of Psychology (published by Division 26 of APA), the first Executive Secretary (and later president) of the History of Science Society (HSS), and a fellow of the AAAS; for a while he program officer for the NSF and the NEH, and the list goes on. In short, he was a creative force in nearly every organization connected to our field of study. The funeral will be held on January 13th in Worcester, MA. A full obituary might take some time to compose. David K. Robinson, Professor of History emeritusTruman State University, Kirksville, MissouriPast-Executive Officer, Cheiron (International Society for History of Behavioral & Social Sciences)History of Psychology Editor, American Journal of Psychology (AJP) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cheiron Forum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cheiron-foru...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cheiron-forum/478c6f86-abab-437b-9947-d8abeb0d8599n%40googlegroups.com. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cheiron Forum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cheiron-foru...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cheiron-forum/ABBDA844-1DF8-4CD4-841C-03707AA04276%40umich.edu. |
| Morris, Edward K. <e...@ku.edu>: Jan 07 12:30AM
While eating lunch alone in the college cafeteria at my first Cheiron meeting circa 1990, Mike Sokal — I did not know who he was at the time — sat down next to me, engaged me, and inquired about my interests. I said "the history of behaviorism," adding that I might be the only avowed radical behaviorist in Cheiron. Mike offered wise counsel: My ism was irrelevant as long as I took history seriously. That was Mike Sokal. That was Cheiron. Thank you. ________________________________ From: cheiro...@googlegroups.com <cheiro...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of John Carson <jsca...@umich.edu> Sent: Tuesday, January 6, 2026 11:21 AM To: Cheiron list-serve <cheiro...@googlegroups.com> Subject: Re: [Cheiron-Forum:3219] Michael M. Sokal Such sad, sad news. Mike was a wonderful guy who tried to see the best in everyone and showed real enthusiasm for a vast array of intellectual projects. His scholarship on Cattell remains important and his work as an indefatigable organizer was critical not only to establishing history of the social/behavioral/human sciences as a legitimate scholarly pursuit but really to the whole field of the history of science. His warm smile and presence will be deeply missed. john John Carson he/him/his Associate Professor Director of Undergraduate Studies, UM-STS Program Department of History | University of Michigan 1029 Tisch Hall | 435 S State St | Ann Arbor, MI | 48109-1003 Phone: 734-647-7378 | Email: jsca...@umich.edu<mailto:jscarson@umich.edu> Student meetings: https://calendly.com/jscarson/student-consultations "We acknowledge that the University of Michigan was formed and has grown on the homelands of the Niswi Ishkodewan Anishinaabeg: The Three Fires People who are the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi, along with their neighbors the Seneca, Delaware, Shawnee, and Wyandot nations.” On Jan 6, 2026, at 10:32 AM, davidrobinson19732 <davidrobi...@gmail.com> wrote: The Sokal family contacted Leila Zenderland to tell her that Michael M. Sokal (80) passed away peacefully at home on December 18; she asked me to pass the word to others. Mike had serious health issues for quite a long time and was incapacitated these past few months. Mike Sokal was one of the founding members of Cheiron in 1968-69; he appears in that famous photo as a young grad student who looks like a teenager. He was the founding editor of the journal, History of Psychology (published by Division 26 of APA), the first Executive Secretary (and later president) of the History of Science Society (HSS), and a fellow of the AAAS; for a while he program officer for the NSF and the NEH, and the list goes on. In short, he was a creative force in nearly every organization connected to our field of study. The funeral will be held on January 13th in Worcester, MA. A full obituary might take some time to compose. David K. Robinson, Professor of History emeritus Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri Past-Executive Officer, Cheiron (International Society for History of Behavioral & Social Sciences) History of Psychology Editor, American Journal of Psychology (AJP) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cheiron Forum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cheiron-foru...@googlegroups.com<mailto:cheiron-forum+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com>. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cheiron-forum/478c6f86-abab-437b-9947-d8abeb0d8599n%40googlegroups.com<https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cheiron-forum/478c6f86-abab-437b-9947-d8abeb0d8599n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cheiron Forum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cheiron-foru...@googlegroups.com<mailto:cheiron-forum+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com>. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cheiron-forum/ABBDA844-1DF8-4CD4-841C-03707AA04276%40umich.edu<https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cheiron-forum/ABBDA844-1DF8-4CD4-841C-03707AA04276%40umich.edu?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. |
| James Capshew <jcap...@gmail.com>: Jan 07 11:56AM -0500
I corresponded with Mike Sokal in November 1979, when I was preparing my first publication, on the history of psychology at Indiana University (see Capshew & Hearst, 1980). He was able to answer my query authoritatively. In the spring of 1980, I phoned him for advice on what graduate program to attend with my NSF Graduate Fellowship. He strongly encouraged me to join the Department of History and Sociology of Science at the University of Pennsylvania, which I did (see Capshew, 2022). Mike also suggested that I attend the upcoming meeting of the Cheiron Society, at Bowdoin College. In June, I traveled to Brunswick, Maine and met Mike in person, as well as others who would become important colleagues. As my first mentor in the history of psychology. Mike lavished care on my professional formation. He also became a dear friend along with his partner Charlene. Mike's unmatched combination of relentless cheerfulness, astute judgment of people and situations, and a tenacious motivation to serve others was a hallmark of his professional career. After 45 years of friendship, I can look back with wonderment and appreciation of his fruitful life and gratitude that we walked together in the sun. Jim Capshew |
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Vincent Hevern
Jan 7, 2026, 3:11:02 PMJan 7
to cheiro...@googlegroups.com
My memories of Mike are filled with joy, smiles, and kindness. At lunch today with my Jesuit colleagues at Le Moyne, I made note of the wonderful expressions of personal appreciation and respect for Mike which is, I am sure, universal. I will miss him greatly.
Vinny
Vincent W. Hevern, SJ, Ph.D.
Le Moyne College
Syracuse, NY 13214
Le Moyne College
Syracuse, NY 13214
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