University of Pittsburgh - Owl Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

 - Class of 1908

Page 20 of 404

 

University of Pittsburgh - Owl Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA) online collection, 1908 Edition, Page 20 of 404
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University of Pittsburgh - Owl Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA) online collection, 1908 Edition, Page 19
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trustees of the Western University of Pennsylvania. The association had incurred an indebtedness of about $12,000 and they recognized that to carry it on in the interests of education and the advancement of science a fund must Ik- raised to pay the debt, and also raise a fund to endow a chair of astronomy in the university. It was therefore proposed to raise the sum of $30,000. bv which this desirable end should be attained. The future usefulness of the observatory seemed to lx fully recognized by the Ix ard at that time, as the minutes of this date are filled with expressions of ho|ie and prophecy regarding both the university and the observatory. A large majority of stockholders and contributors voted to convey their interests in the Observatory to the University, with the proviso that they were to be credited with the amount they had subscribed, and provided further that they should have the privileges formerly accorded them of making occasional use of the instruments, and provided still further that an endowment fund lx raised and the property forever be held for observatory purposes. The Astronomical Association through its officers conveyed the observatory to the Western University on the first day of July, 1867. The records of this transfer cover many pages of the minute books of the Western University, and lxar testimony to the care with which the transfer was made. On the 8th of August, 1867, Professor S. 1 . Langley was unanimously elected to the chair of Astronomy and Physics. At this meeting it was resolved to equip the observatory with a transit instrument, chronograph. cl x ks. etc. The duties of the Professor of Astronomy were also decided ii|x n, in which it was to teach the classes in astronomy and physics in the university, duties from which he was afterwards entirely released. At a meeting held June 8. 1869, it was decided to change the name of the Allegheny Observatory to The Observatory of the Western University of Pennsylvania. but at the meeting of the board on the 4th of October of the same year the motion to change the name was rescinded, and the old name retained. Subscriptions to the endowment fund and paying off the debt amounted at this period to the sum of $15,000. subscribed by Dr. Hussey. Hon. Thomas M. Howe. Mr. William Thaw, Thomas A. Clark, Thomas Fawcett, Christopher Zug. ( has. Knapp. James 15. Lyon. Mr. Hostetter. Mr. Smith and General Cass. This fund covered the indebtedness of the Astronomical Association, leaving a balance of $3,000 toward the endowment fund, thus requiring $17,000 to complete the endowment of $20,000. This amount, so far as 1 have been able to find out. was contributed by Mr. Thaw, who a few years afterwards also contributed $100,000 to the University Fund. It was stipulated by Mr. Thaw that the director of tiie observatory should be free from teaching in the university, except to deliver lectures at his convenience and thus lx free to carry on original research. From this time onward the institution t x k its place among the working observatories of the world. It would lx impossible within the limits of this paper to tell you more than a moiety of the splendid observations and discoveries made by Professor Langley and his able assistants. The long series of solar observations, for which this region is so well suited, gave to the world new views of the sun and its surroundings: and the series of magnificent drawings of sun sjxns made by Professors Langley. Frost. Keeler and Mr. Very are now considered classic and invaluable in our studies of solar phenomena.

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magnifying power of which would bring the heavenly bodies near enough to be viewed with greater interest and satisfaction. These three citizens were Professor Lewis Bradley, Josiah King and Harvey Childs. After some conversation upon the subject it was decided to recp.iest other gentlemen to meet with them. The next meeting was held on the evening of Washington’s birthday. February 22, 1859. At this meeting, “after further conversation, it was proposed to place the telescope upon a housetop in the central part of Allegheny. The committee on site had some negotiations with the city with reference to a location on Seminary Hill, a lease of which was offered to the association for an annual rental of sixty dollars per year, but about this time Mr. Ferguson and Mr. McClintock offered free of cost a large part of the plot of ground on which the observatory now stands, and an additional piece was purchased from Mr. Ashworth. making in all a tract of over ten acres, on what was then perhaps as fine a location for an observatory as could lx found near the city, as the prevailing winds carried the smoke away from it. thus insuring good observations in its earlier history. So successful was the association in raising funds for the projiosed observatory that it was decided to purchase a 13-inch telescope instead of an 8-inch, as originally proposed, and on motion of Mr. Wiliiam Thaw it was decided to instruct a committee to make arrangements for the purchase of an instrument from Mr. Fit , of New York, who had only a short time before completed a similar instrument for the Dudley observatory at Albany, New York. The complete organization of the association did not take place until May 15, i860, when the constitution and by-laws were rejxirted and adopted and a board of directors elected. The members constituting the lxiard were: Hon. Thomas M. Howe, l)r. C. C. Hussey, Mr. W illiam Thaw, Mr. Josiah King and Mr. John II. Shoenberger. Dr. C. (I. Hussey was elected president of the board and Mr. James Park, Jr., secretary. The act of incorix ration by the legislature of Pennsylvania was approved by (iov. Packer, on the 22 l day of March, i860. 1'he observatory was completed and the telescope erected between the first of November, i860, and the end of January. 1861. On Tuesday evening. November 17. 1863. Prof. Philotus Dean was elected director of the observatory for one year, 'flic records do not show any important observations or discoveries made up to this time, indeed it is presumed that the telescope was used almost entirely for observations of the moon and planets by the members of the association. The first director of the observatory served without any salary, save that he was furnished with a dwelling house free of rent. On the 10th of May, 1867. a meeting was held of the stockholders of the Allegheny Astronomical Association, as it is now called, to consider its transfer to the 11



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SAMUEL PIERPONT LANGLEY Director of the Allegheny Observatory, 1867-1887. By John Alfred Brashear. The man of grand impulses sheds a lustre on all around him. GREAT man lias gone to his rest. A life filled with the highest aspirations has closed and we are left to mourn the loss of one whose place will Ik difficult to fill. The writer was associated with Professor Langley for more than thirty years, and in all those years lie has only pleasant recollections of his personality and his magnificent intellect—one never satisfied with a half-proven hypothesis, hut always reaching out for final proof before he announced any of his great discoveries. Not every man who came in contact with Professor Langley knew him as the writer knew him. Many times he has walked for miles with him. During the walk nothing would escape his mouth hut monosyllables. Was he cold, indifferent, callous to the questioner? Far from it. Some difficult, perhaps intricate problem in solar physics or other correlated study had taken possession of his mind to the exclusion of all else, and 1 have often thought that his yes” or no” to my questions were almost of an automatic character. But how different at other times, during our walks from the old observatory to the nearest woods, where now is erected the new Astronomical ()bservatory. Charming was his conversation from the beginning to the end of our stroll. W hen in this mood no man could be more entertaining and instructive than Professor x3

Suggestions in the University of Pittsburgh - Owl Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA) collection:

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University of Pittsburgh - Owl Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA) online collection, 1909 Edition, Page 1

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University of Pittsburgh - Owl Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA) online collection, 1910 Edition, Page 1

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University of Pittsburgh - Owl Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA) online collection, 1911 Edition, Page 1

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University of Pittsburgh - Owl Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA) online collection, 1912 Edition, Page 1

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University of Pittsburgh - Owl Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA) online collection, 1913 Edition, Page 1

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