For centuries, John Dee, royal wizard to Queen Elizabeth I, has gotten a bad rap. Now a group of scholars wants to restore his image by showcasing his accomplishments. The group met in September, 2009 in Cambridge for a two-day conference.

Conference organizer Jenny Rampling said, "If you're looking for one of the most original thinkers of his day, in touch with all the major intellectuals of Europe, consulted by princes, right at the cutting edge of mathematical theory, author of the preface of the first English edition of Euclid, owner of the greatest private library in England and one of the best in Europe, that's Dee. But even by the 17th century that part of his reputation was overshadowed by the stories of sorcery and conjuring."