George Basalla

George Basalla, a dedicated husband and father and a distinguished historian of science, passed away peacefully on September 5, 2025 at the age of 97.

Born and raised in Altoona, Pennsylvania, George's life was defined by the pursuit of knowledge. The first in his family to seek higher education, he progressed from the Altoona branch campus of Penn State, to the main campus, to Columbia University where he obtained an M.A. in literature, and finally to Harvard University where he earned his Ph.D. in history. He met Carolyn, his wife of nearly 50 years, at Harvard, famously approaching her in the library with a chocolate orange Cadbury bar.

George began his faculty career at the University of Texas at Austin in 1964 and in 1971 moved to the University of Delaware, where he remained for the rest of his career. He published several influential books, most notably The Evolution of Technology (Cambridge University Press, 1989). His intellectual curiosity made him a creative and popular teacher. His office was filled with toy robots, sci-fi posters, and other colorful oddities related to his fascination with the role of technology in American culture.

After George retired in 1999, he continued to work daily in his study at the University of Delaware Library, which became an important social and intellectual hub for him. A creature of habit, he could often be found grabbing a slice of pizza at Margherita's or shopping at Goodwill. While he did not often travel, New York City always loomed large in his imagination after his early years at Columbia. He followed cultural and intellectual life in New York closely through his daily reading of the New York Times.

George was preceded in death by his wife, Carolyn. He is survived by his son, John Basalla (Suzanne), and his daughter, Susan May (Al Samples). He was deeply proud of both John and Susan and loved them as much as he (needlessly) worried about them. The family wishes to acknowledge George's faculty colleague Wunyabari Maloba for his faithful kindness to George over many decades. George was always proud to introduce Maloba as his best friend.

The family will mark his passing privately.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to two organizations he treasured in his later years: Friends of the Newark Free Library, P.O. Box 5539, Newark, DE 19714 or online by clicking here; or Wikipedia, P.O. Box 98204, Washington, DC 20090-8204 or online by clicking here.