Frances Woodworth Wright
Frances Woodworth Wright | |
---|---|
Born | April 30, 1897 Providence, Rhode Island |
Died | July 30, 1989 Cambridge, Massachusetts |
Nationality | American |
Occupation(s) | astronomer, educator |
Known for | Celestial navigation |
Frances Woodworth Wright (April 30, 1897 – July 30, 1989) was an American astronomer based at Harvard University. During World War II, she taught celestial navigation to military officers and engineers.
Early life
Frances Woodworth Wright was born in
Career
Wright taught astronomy and mathematics at
During World War II, Wright taught celestial navigation to military officers and engineers;[10][11] for many years afterward, she taught navigation classes to Harvard students and local sailors.[12] "I just love the looks in some of their faces when they've learned something," she said in 1986. "You feel as if you've added to their horizons, just as it adds to mine. It inspires me to think this course gives them a sense of adventure."[13]
She wrote three books on navigation techniques, all published by Cornell Maritime Press: Celestial Navigation (1969, revised 1982),[14] Coastwise Navigation (1980),[15] and Particularized Navigation: How to Prevent Navigational Emergencies (1973).[16] She was also co-author of Basic Marine Navigation (1944, with Bart Bok)[17] and The Large Magellanic Cloud (1967, with Paul W. Hodge).[18] Her published research included several studies of meteoritic particles.[19][20][21][22][23]
Wright continued working at the observatory until 1971, and taught undergraduate courses in navigation for many years after that. [4]
Personal life and legacy
She was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1961.[24] In 1976, the minor planet 2133 Franceswright was named in her honor, after its discovery at the Harvard College Observatory.[25]
Frances Woodworth Wright died from cancer in 1989 in Cambridge, aged 92 years.[26][27] Her small telescope is in the collection of historical scientific instruments at Harvard University,[28] and Wright created and endowed the Frances W. Wright Navigation Fund, ensure the course's continued availability.[12][13]
References
- ISBN 9781135963422.
- ^ Wright, Frances Woodworth (April 1907). "My Favorite Poem". St. Nicholas: 563–564.
- ^ University, Brown (1920). Catalogue. p. 202.
- ^ ISBN 9780670016952.
- ^ "Find New 'Brand' of Meteor Shower". Lansing State Journal. February 7, 1954. p. 3. Retrieved May 31, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Frances Wright, 92, Harvard Astronomer". The New York Times. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
- ^ "Ex-Elmira College Professor Dies at 92". Star-Gazette. July 31, 1969. p. 1. Retrieved May 31, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ McGrath, Alex (February 9, 2018). "Cecilia and Sergei: American Astronomers". Galactic Gazette, Wolbach Library. Retrieved 2019-05-31.
- ISBN 978-0521483902.
- ISSN 0364-9229.
- ^ Birtwell, Roger. "Woman Taught Soldiers How to Sail in War" The Boston Globe (January 6, 1967): 72. via Newspapers.com
- ^ a b Kim, Victoria (October 27, 2004). "With Stars As Their Guides". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2019-05-31.
- ^ a b "Astronomy Prof Funds Course". The Transcript. June 3, 1986. p. 2. Retrieved May 31, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ISBN 9780870332913.
- ISBN 9780870332609.
- ISBN 9780870331886.
- ^ Bok, Bart Jan; Wright, Frances W. (1944). Basic Marine Navigation. Houghton Mifflin.
- ISBN 9780608177533.
- ISSN 2156-2202.
- .
- S2CID 4279430.
- .
- ^ "Dust on Glaciers Believed from Space". Daily Independent Journal. August 26, 1964. p. 35. Retrieved May 31, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Historic fellows". American Association for the Advancement of Science. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
- ISBN 9783662066157.
- ^ "Frances Woodworth Wright; Instructor in Celestial Navigation" Los Angeles Times (August 2, 1989): 16. via ProQuest
- ^ "Frances Wright, 92, Harvard Astronomer". The New York Times. August 1, 1989. p. A17 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Frances W. Wright". The Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, Harvard University. Retrieved 2019-05-31.