John F. (John Francis) Woodhull

Born in 1857 and active as an American chemist, physicist, and educator, John F. Woodhull built his career around making science clearer and more useful for learners. He was associated with Columbia University and Teachers College, where he taught physical science and wrote for both students and teachers.

Woodhull published a range of educational works, including Physical Experiments, Simple Experiments in Physics, Electricity and Its Everyday Uses, The Teaching of Physical Science, and The Teaching of Science. Across these books, he returned again and again to hands-on learning, showing how experiments and familiar examples could bring physics and chemistry to life.

That combination of classroom experience and practical writing gives his work a lasting appeal. Even now, his books offer a window into an era when science education was becoming more experimental, accessible, and connected to everyday life.