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George Sarton was a Belgian-American historian of science, recognized as a pioneering figure in establishing the field as a distinct academic discipline. Originally trained in chemistry at the University of Ghent, he shifted his focus to the history of science, believing it provided a crucial lens for understanding human progress.

Forced to flee Belgium during World War I, Sarton emigrated to the United States, where he worked at the Carnegie Institution of Washington and later became a professor at Harvard University. His life's work centered on documenting the evolution of scientific thought across civilizations, emphasizing its cumulative and global nature.

Sarton’s most ambitious project, Introduction to the History of Science, was a multi-volume study tracing the development of scientific knowledge from antiquity through the Middle Ages. He also founded Isis in 1912, the first major journal dedicated to the history of science, and later established Osiris, both of which remain influential. One of Sarton’s key contributions was his argument that Islamic scholars played a pivotal role in preserving and advancing scientific knowledge during the Middle Ages. 

Through his rigorous research, publications, and advocacy, Sarton helped institutionalize the study of science history, inspiring generations of scholars.