James Gilbert Baker
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James Gilbert Baker | |
---|---|
Born | Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | December 11, 1914
Died | June 29, 2005 Bedford, New Hampshire, U.S. | (aged 90)
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | University of Louisville (B.A.) Harvard University (M.S.) Harvard University (Ph.D.) |
Occupations |
|
Known for | optical systems |
Awards | Magellanic Premium (1952) Elliott Cresson Medal (1962) SPIE Gold Medal (1978) |
James Gilbert Baker (November 11, 1914 – June 29, 2005) was an American astronomer and designer of optics systems.
Biography
He was born in
He met his future wife, Elizabeth Katherine Breitenstein, while at the university.
Pursuing his interest in astronomy, he studied at the Harvard College Observatory. He earned his M.A. in 1936, gained an appointment as a Junior Fellow of the Harvard Society from 1937 until 1943. It was in 1940 that he developed the Baker-Schmidt telescope, a modification of the schmidt camera. In 1942 he was awarded his PhD in astronomy and astrophysics from Harvard University.
After the start of
Living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from 1946 until 1949 he was an associate professor at Harvard University, as well as continuing his research into optics he had pursued during the war. In 1948 he moved to Orinda, California to join the Lick Observatory as a research associate. He returned to Harvard in 1950.
Prior to the launch of the
He and
During the 1960s he designed the folding optics for the
Baker was the author of many technical papers and he held more than 50 U.S. patents. He was the first person to use a computer for the design of optics[citation needed].
He died in Bedford, New Hampshire at the age of 90, and was survived by his wife Elizabeth, and his three sons, a daughter, and five grandchildren. (His children have also pursued technical careers).[1]
Bibliography
- J.G. Baker and George Z. Dimitroff, "Telescopes and Accessories", 1945, Blakiston.
- James G. Baker, "Optical Systems for Astronomical Photography", in Amateur Telescope Making, Book Three. A. G. Ingalls, Editor, Scientific American Press, 1953.
- J.G. Baker, "The Catadioptric Refractor," Astronomical Journal 59, 1954.
- J. G. Baker, "Planetary Telescopes", Applied Optics 2.2, 1963.
- J. G. Baker, "On Improving the Effectiveness of Large Telescopes", IEEE Transactions, vol. AES-5, no. 2, March 1969.
Awards and honors
- Medal for Merit from the US president.
- Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, 1946.[2]
- Elliott Cresson Medal, 1962
- Frederic Ives Medal, 1965.
- Member of the American Philosophical Society, 1970[3]
- Joseph Fraunhofer Award, 1991.
- Recognition as a Pioneer of National Reconnaissance, 2000.
- Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[4]
- Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Award; inducted into Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame.
See also
- List of astronomical instrument makers
- Optical Society of America#Past Presidents of the OSA
References
- ^ "J. G. Baker, 90, Designer of High-Altitude Camera Lenses". The New York Times. July 13, 2005. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
- ^ "Book of Members, 1780-2010: Chapter B" (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
- ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ "James Gilbert Baker". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved September 12, 2022.