Charles Greeley Abbot

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Charles Greeley Abbot
Dr. Charles Greeley Abbot
5th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
In office
1928–1944
Preceded byCharles Doolittle Walcott
Succeeded byAlexander Wetmore
Personal details
Born(1872-05-31)May 31, 1872
Wilton, New Hampshire[1]
DiedDecember 17, 1973(1973-12-17) (aged 101)
Riverdale Park, Maryland, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Spouse(s)Lillian Elvira Moore Abbot (m. 1897–1944; death),[2]
Virginia Andes Johnson (m. 1954–1973; death)
Alma materPhillips Academy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS)
Known forNoted astrophysicist who was awarded the Henry Draper Medal (1910) and the Rumford Prize (1915)

Charles Greeley Abbot (May 31, 1872 – December 17, 1973) was an American

solar boiler, solar still, and other patented solar energy
inventions.

Early life and education

Abbot, at age eleven, with the water wheel he invented.

Charles Greeley Abbot was born in

high school.[7] He attended Phillips Academy.[1][7]
When a friend of his went to Boston to take the entrance exam to get into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Abbot went for the chance to visit Boston. However, upon arrival, he was uncomfortable visiting Boston alone and chose to take the exam instead. He passed and his family gathered the funds to send him to MIT for one year. He started out studying chemical engineering, but eventually moved on to physics.[7]

He graduated in 1894 with a

Samuel P. Langley on the MIT campus when Langley visited seeking an assistant.[7] In 1895, he would start working as an aid at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.[1][3][9]

Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

Charles Greeley Abbot, between 1913 and 1917

While at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), Abbot would work under

expeditions. In 1900 he, along with Langley, would travel to Wadesboro, North Carolina to observe a solar eclipse,[10] followed by another eclipse expedition to Sumatra in 1901. During his expedition experiences he would also travel to Algeria, Egypt, South Africa, Australia, and other countries, often in partnership with the National Geographic Society. Abbot would become acting director of SAO in 1906[9] and in 1907, Abbot became the Director of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, following the death of Samuel P. Langley.[1] While Langley was still Director, he had visited Mount Whitney, and decided it would be a great place for an observatory. Abbot secured funding for the observatory and it was built in 1909.[11] As Director, a position he would hold until his retirement, Abbot would open the Radiation Biology Laboratory in 1929, to study radiation effects on plants, and other organisms.[1][12] This helped to develop the first wave of biophysics researchers in the United States.[1]

Life and work as Smithsonian Secretary

Abbot with a container full of printouts of solar observations, 1968

Abbot would become the Assistant Secretary at the

Smithsonian Institution Libraries, the International Exchange Service, and the SAO.[13] He also co-created the Smithsonian Scientific Series books, which helped raise funds for the Smithsonian.[5]

Ten years later, on January 10, 1928, he became the fifth Secretary of the Smithsonian after the death of

United States National Museum was also minimal, and was under the primary care of Assistant Secretary Alexander Wetmore.[5]

He was the first Smithsonian Secretary to retire, ending his tenure on July 1, 1944. Following retirement, he was awarded Secretary Emeritus status[1] and proceeded to continue his research work.[15] The first Smithsonian holiday party would be held during his tenure. At the party, Abbot sang and played the cello for the partygoers. While in Washington, he was a deacon at the First Congregational Church. He also played tennis frequently at the former tennis courts at the Smithsonian Castle.[1]

Later life and legacy

During his lifetime, Abbot was elected a member of the

Smithsonian Castle and a bronze bust of Abbot, by Alicia Neatherly, was presented, and donated to the National Gallery of Art.[19] Charles Greeley Abbot died, at age 101 in Maryland, on December 17, 1973.[1][20] The American Solar Energy Society has an award named in Abbot's honor, which is awarded for contributions to solar energy research.[21]

The Abbot crater on the Moon has been named after him.

Research work

Abbot's solar cooker at Mount Wilson Observatory.

Abbot began his

Earth's atmosphere. Later in his research career, he turned his focus on solar energy use.[5]

An

solar boiler,[7] and held fifteen other patents related to solar energy.[1][8] For his research and contributions to the sciences, Abbot was awarded a Henry Draper Medal in 1910 and a Rumford Medal in 1916.[5]

Abbot at the Fourth Conference International Union for Cooperation in Solar Research at Mount Wilson Observatory, 1910

Further reading

Selected publications by Charles Greeley Abbot
  • The 1914 Tests of the Langley "Aerodrome". Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution (1942).
  • An Account of the Astrophysical Observatory of the Smithsonian Institution. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution (1966).
  • Adventures in the World of Science. Washington, D.C.: Public Affairs Press (1958).
  • "Astrophysical Contributions of the Smithsonian Institution." Science. 104.2693 (1946): 116-119.
  • Samuel Pierpont Langley. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution (1934).
  • A Shelter for Observers on Mount Whitney. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution (1910).
Bibliography
  • Davis, Margaret. "Charles Greeley Abbot." The George Washington University Magazine. 2: 32.35.
  • DeVorkin, David H. ""Defending a Dream: Charles Greeley Abbot's Years at the Smithsonian." Journal for the History of Astronomy. 21.61 (1990): 121-136.
  • Hoyt, Douglas V. "The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Solar Constant Program." Reviews of Geophysics and Space Physics. 17.3 (May 1979): 427-458
  • Oehser, Paul H. Sons of Science: The Story of the Smithsonian Institution and its Leaders. New York: Henry Schuman (1949).
  • Ripley, Sidney Dillon. "The View From the Castle: Weather prediction is not enough: what's needed is an early-warning system to monitor change in the environment." Smithsonian. 1.2 (May 1970): 2.

See also

  • List of centenarians (scientists and mathematicians)

References

  1. ^
    Smithsonian Institution Archives
    . 2011-04-14. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  2. ISBN 978-0-309-06031-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link
    )
  3. ^ .
  4. on 2013-09-27.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Devorkin, David H. "Charles Greeley Abbot". Biographical Memoirs. The National Academies Press. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  6. . Retrieved August 22, 2022. Abbot, Charles Greeley (31 May 1872–17 December 1973), astronomer, was born in Wilton, New Hampshire, the son of Harris Abbot and Caroline Ann Greeley, farmers.
  7. ^ . Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  8. ^ a b Warner, Deborah Jean (1975). "Biographical Memoirs: Charles Greeley Abbot". The American Philosophical Society Year Book 1975. The American Philosophical Society. pp. 111–116. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  9. ^ a b "Abbot Becomes Director of SAO". Institutional History Division. Smithsonian Institution Archives. March 1907. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  10. ^ "North Carolina Eclipse Expedition of 1900". Institutional History Division. Smithsonian Institution Archives. 1900-05-28. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  11. ^ "SAO Mount Whitney Shelter Erected". Institutional History Division. Smithsonian Institution Archives. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  12. ^ "Div. of Radiation and Organisms Established". Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for the year 1953. Smithsonian Institution Archives. May 1929. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  13. ^ a b "C. G. Abbot Named Assistant Secretary". Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for the year. Smithsonian Institution Archives. 1919. p. 3. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  14. ^ "World Is Yours is Suspended". Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for the year 1942. Smithsonian Institution Archives. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  15. ^ "Charles G. Abbot Retires as Secretary". Annual Report for the Smithsonian Institution for the year 1945. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. 1946. p. 7. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  16. ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
  17. ^ "Charles G. Abbot". www.nasonline.org. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
  18. ^ "Charles Greeley Abbot". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. 2023-02-09. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
  19. ^ "Celebration of Abbot's 83rd Birthday". Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for the year 1955. Smithsonian Institution. 1955. p. 10. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  20. ^ "Secretary Emeritus Abbot Dies". Torch. Smithsonian Institution Archives. 1 January 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  21. ^ "Charles Greeley Abbot Award". American Solar Energy Society. Archived from the original on 26 January 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2012.

External links