David Perlman

<h2 id="early-life-and-education">Early life and education</h2>
Perlman was born in <a href="/facts/Baltimore/ncJvTzBU">Baltimore</a>, <a href="/facts/Maryland/tVy9fC1n">Maryland</a>, and raised on the <a href="/facts/Upper_West_Side/8xmr3un1">Upper West Side</a> of <a href="/facts/Manhattan/fF9JeXjh">Manhattan</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3">3</a> Perlman graduated from <a href="/facts/Columbia_College_(New_York)/up2EKu9B">Columbia College</a>, where he worked for the student newspaper <a href="/facts/Columbia_Daily_Spectator/tEueffdR">Columbia Daily Spectator</a> in 1939 and the <a href="/facts/Columbia_University_Graduate_School_of_Journalism/RRyPQR3u">Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism</a> in 1940.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4">4</a>

<h2 id="career">Career</h2>
He began his career as a reporter in 1940<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a> at the <a href="/facts/San_Francisco_Chronicle/HV7h1xrr">San Francisco Chronicle</a>, where he started covering science in 1957, after breaking his leg while skiing and reading about astronomy during his recovery.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a> He became the Chronicle's science editor emeritus after retiring in August 2017 at the age of 98.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a> In a 2017 interview for <a href="/facts/Poynter_Institute/7QL96PTw">Poynter</a>, he stated that cuts to science coverage in the media are "absolutely obscene" and create "a generation with a major disability in what they can think about and understand."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a>
In 2000, the <a href="/facts/American_Geophysical_Union/c4fmbVpa">American Geological Union</a> recognized his contributions to science news reporting by instituting the "David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism—News".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13">13</a> A former president of the <a href="/facts/National_Association_of_Science_Writers/QIel3Db3">National Association of Science Writers</a> and the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing, he was a Fellow of the <a href="/facts/California_Academy_of_Sciences/P976HtIM">California Academy of Sciences</a>. He was the recipient of journalism awards from the <a href="/facts/American_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Science/zfWYugCg">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a>, the <a href="/facts/Society_of_Professional_Journalists/xaEHF0JJ">Society of Professional Journalists</a>, the <a href="/facts/American_Chemical_Society/Alf3uhaF">American Chemical Society</a>, the <a href="/facts/American_Geophysical_Union/c4fmbVpa">American Geophysical Union</a> and the <a href="/facts/United_States_Geological_Survey/nVaGtMjl">United States Geological Survey</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14">14</a>

<h2 id="death">Death</h2>
Perlman died on June 19, 2020, at the age of 101.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15">15</a>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/distillations-pod/science-interrupted/">Science History Institute: The story of the 1975 Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">Fagan, Kevin (19 June 2020). "David Perlman, award-winning Chronicle science writer, dies at age 101". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2020-06-19. <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/David-Perlman-award-winning-Chronicle-science-15353853.php" target="_blank">https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/David-Perlman-award-winning-Chronicle-science-15353853.php</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">Johnston, Ian (28 July 2017). "Science journalist retires at 98 and warns of generation of Americans with thinking 'disability'". The Independent. Retrieved 2018-01-20. <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/science-journalist-thinking-disability-david-perlman-generation-americans-climate-change-global-a7864551.html" target="_blank">https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/science-journalist-thinking-disability-david-perlman-generation-americans-climate-change-global-a7864551.html</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">Horgan, Richard (August 4, 2017). "San Francisco Chronicle Toasts 98-Year-Old Outgoing Science Editor David Perlman". www.adweek.com. Retrieved June 21, 2020. <a href="https://www.adweek.com/digital/san-francisco-chronicle-david-perlman-retirement/" target="_blank">https://www.adweek.com/digital/san-francisco-chronicle-david-perlman-retirement/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">"Dean of American Science Writing". Columbia College Today. November–December 2009. Archived from the original on 2016-09-15. Retrieved June 7, 2020. <a href="https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/archive/nov_dec09/features" target="_blank">https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/archive/nov_dec09/features</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">Kilgannon, Corey (2009-04-26). "San Francisco Reporter, 90, Covers Science Beat With Verve". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-01-20. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/business/media/27chronicle.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/business/media/27chronicle.html</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">Funke, Daniel (26 July 2017). "He's spent nearly 7 decades at The San Francisco Chronicle. This year, at 98, he's retiring". Poynter. Retrieved 2018-01-20. <a href="https://www.poynter.org/news/hes-spent-nearly-7-decades-san-francisco-chronicle-year-98-hes-retiring" target="_blank">https://www.poynter.org/news/hes-spent-nearly-7-decades-san-francisco-chronicle-year-98-hes-retiring</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">Kilgannon, Corey (2009-04-26). "San Francisco Reporter, 90, Covers Science Beat With Verve". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-01-20. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/business/media/27chronicle.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/business/media/27chronicle.html</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">La Ganga, Maria L. (2013-02-21). "Science writer is quite the specimen himself: He's 94". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2018-01-20. <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2013-feb-21-la-me-perlman-20130222-story.html" target="_blank">https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2013-feb-21-la-me-perlman-20130222-story.html</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">"David Perlman, Science Editor Emeritus - San Francisco Chronicle". www.sfchronicle.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20. <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/author/david-perlman/" target="_blank">https://www.sfchronicle.com/author/david-perlman/</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">Funke, Daniel (26 July 2017). "He's spent nearly 7 decades at The San Francisco Chronicle. This year, at 98, he's retiring". Poynter. Retrieved 2018-01-20. <a href="https://www.poynter.org/news/hes-spent-nearly-7-decades-san-francisco-chronicle-year-98-hes-retiring" target="_blank">https://www.poynter.org/news/hes-spent-nearly-7-decades-san-francisco-chronicle-year-98-hes-retiring</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">Funke, Daniel (26 July 2017). "He's spent nearly 7 decades at The San Francisco Chronicle. This year, at 98, he's retiring". Poynter. Retrieved 2018-01-20. <a href="https://www.poynter.org/news/hes-spent-nearly-7-decades-san-francisco-chronicle-year-98-hes-retiring" target="_blank">https://www.poynter.org/news/hes-spent-nearly-7-decades-san-francisco-chronicle-year-98-hes-retiring</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">Johnston, Ian (28 July 2017). "Science journalist retires at 98 and warns of generation of Americans with thinking 'disability'". The Independent. Retrieved 2018-01-20. <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/science-journalist-thinking-disability-david-perlman-generation-americans-climate-change-global-a7864551.html" target="_blank">https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/science-journalist-thinking-disability-david-perlman-generation-americans-climate-change-global-a7864551.html</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:13">"David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism - News - Honors Program". Honors Program. Retrieved 2018-01-20. <a href="https://honors.agu.org/medals-awards/david-perlman-award-for-excellence-in-science-journalism-news/" target="_blank">https://honors.agu.org/medals-awards/david-perlman-award-for-excellence-in-science-journalism-news/</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:14">"David Perlman, Science Editor Emeritus - San Francisco Chronicle". www.sfchronicle.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20. <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/author/david-perlman/" target="_blank">https://www.sfchronicle.com/author/david-perlman/</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:15">Russell, Cristine. "RIP David Perlman, the Dean of American Science Writing". Scientific American Blog Network. Retrieved 2020-06-21. <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/rip-david-perlman-the-dean-of-american-science-writing/" target="_blank">https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/rip-david-perlman-the-dean-of-american-science-writing/</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

David Perlman open-in-new

David Perlman