Stephen Alexander (astronomer)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2008) |
Stephen Alexander | |
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Born | September 1, 1806 Schenectady |
Died | June 25, 1883 (aged 76) Princeton |
Alma mater | |
Occupation | Astronomer, university teacher, author |
Employer |
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Stephen Alexander (September 1, 1806 – June 25, 1883) was a noted American astronomer and educator.
Early years
He was born in
Career
He became a tutor in mathematics at Princeton University in 1832; he would later become professor of astronomy and mathematics and advocate for the construction of Princeton's first observatory.[3] Alexander relied on the assistance of a free African American man named Alfred Scudder, who worked for him at Princeton during the 1850s.[4][5] Because of his role as Alexander's assistant on campus, Scudder received the nickname "Assistant Professor of Natural Philosophy" from students.[4][5]
Alexander was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society[6] in 1839 and an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences[7] in 1850. In 1860, he was the head of an expedition to the coast of Labrador to observe the solar eclipse which occurred July 18 of that year, and later to observe the one of 1869.[1]
He was one of the original members of the
Works
Among many noteworthy astronomical papers he published:[1]
- Fundamental Principles of Mathematics
- Statement and Exposition of Certain Harmonies of the Solar System
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d Johnson 1906, p. 77
- ^ Hockey 2009
- ^ National Academy of Sciences
- ^ a b Princeton University 2017
- ^ a b Yannielli 2017
- ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
- ^ American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- ^ Leonard & Marquis 1963
Sources
- "Book of Members, 1780-2010: Chapter A" (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved April 14, 2011 – via www.amacad.org.
- Hockey, Thomas (2009). "Alexander, Stephen". ISBN 978-0-387-31022-0. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
- Johnson, Rossiter, ed. (1906). "Alexander, Stephen". The Biographical Dictionary of America. Vol. 1. Boston, Mass.: American Biographical Society. p. 77. Retrieved November 19, 2020 – via en.wikisource.org. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Leonard, John William; Marquis, Albert Nelson, eds. (1963), Who Was Who in America: Historical Volume 1607-1896, Chicago: Quincy Who's Who
- "Stephen Alexander". National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved December 19, 2017 – via www.nasonline.org.
- Yannielli, Joseph (November 6, 2017). "African Americans on Campus, 1746–1876". The Princeton & Slavery Project. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
- Princeton University (November 6, 2017). "Alfred N. C. Scudder". The Princeton & Slavery Project. Retrieved December 19, 2017.