Philosophy Prof. Lawrence Sklar will become the first holder of the James B. and Grace J. Nelson Professorship of Philosophy. His appointment, effective Sept. 1, was approved by the Regents at their May meeting.
“A person of outstanding reputation for learning and teaching ability in philosophy is being appointed to the Nelson Professorship,” said LS&A Dean Edie N. Goldenberg.
“The publication of Space, Time, and Spacetime established Prof. Sklar as one of the world’s leading philosophers of science. For this work, he received the American Philosophical Association’s Franklin J. Matchette Prize, for the best book in the entire discipline of philosophy.
“In addition, Prof. Sklar has received numerous honors. He has held fellowships awarded by the American Council of Learned Societies, the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Science Foundation.”
The James B. and Grace J. Nelson Endowment for the Teaching of Philosophy was established in 1940 by a gift from James B. Nelson, who received his LL.B. from the U-M in 1893. It was increased by subsequent gifts from Mr. and Mrs. Nelson and Mrs. Julia-Jean Nelson Stokes. When the entire income from the endowment became available to the University in 1991, the Nelson Professorship was approved by the Regents.
Sklar, who received his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1964, joined the Michigan faculty in 1968.
