Ronald l numbers biography

Ronald L. Numbers, PhD, professor of medical history and bioethics and history, died on July 24, 2023, at 81. A world-renowned scholar of the history of science and medicine, Numbers was regarded as a thoughtful colleague and mentor who approached all with his characteristic good cheer.

One of the most distinguished minds in his field, Numbers focused on the historical and sociological relationship between science and religion in American life and more broadly.

A highly productive researcher and author, he wrote six books and contributed to or edited nearly 40, many with colleagues from UW–Madison. Numbers was a professor in the Department of Medicine History and Bioethics in the School of Medicine and Public Health and an affiliate faculty member in the Department of History in the College of Letters & Science.

The impact of his publications on the study of religion inspired a new generation of scholars.

His upbringing and early career in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in