Swarthmore College Astronomy Department records
Scope and Contents
Administrative files, departmental scrapbooks, correspondence, information on symposia and assemblies of the International Astonomical Union, and miscellaneous records. Includes substantial information on eclipses and extensive correspondence with astronomers throughout the world. Correspondants include: Margaret E. Powell, L.J. Comrie, Peter van de Kamp, Sarah Lee Lippincott, James F. Wanner, Harry J. Augensen, J. Francisco Villamediana, John A. Miller, John H. Pitman, Ross W. Marriott, and many other individuals and institutions
Dates
- Creation: 1899 - 1986
Creator
- Swarthmore College. Astronomy Department (Organization)
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is available for research use.
Biographical / Historical
Swarthmore College offered its first elective course in Astronomy in the mid 1870's. In 1885, the Board reported a proposal to erect an observatory near the east end of the College property. After Professor Susan Cunningham retired in 1906, Dr. John A. Miller was appointed as Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy. Until 1952, courses were listed under the Department of Mathematics and Astronomy; a separate Department of Astronomy existed until it became the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the mid 1980's
Extent
16 linear ft.
Abstract
Swarthmore College offered its first elective course in Astronomy in the mid 1870's. In 1885, the Board reported a proposal to erect an observatory near the east end of the College property. After Professor Susan Cunningham retired in 1906, Dr. John A. Miller was appointed as Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy. Until 1952, courses were listed under the Department of Mathematics and Astronomy; a separate Department of Astronomy existed until it became the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the mid 1980's. Administrative files, departmental scrapbooks, correspondence, information on symposia and assemblies of the International Astonomical Union, and miscellaneous records. Includes substantial information on eclipses and extensive correspondence with astronomers throughout the world. Correspondants include: Margaret E. Powell, L.J. Comrie, Peter van de Kamp, Sarah Lee Lippincott, James F. Wanner, Harry J. Augensen, J. Francisco Villamediana, John A. Miller, John H. Pitman, Ross W. Marriott, and many other individuals and institutions
Arrangement
Divided into 5 series: 1. Administrative records; 2. Scrapbooks; 3. Correspondence; 4. International Astronomical Union; 5. Miscellaneous
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was transferred in 1996-97 from the Sproul Observatory to Friends Historical Library by Wulff Heintz shortly before he retired and when space was being cleared out in Sproul for Development staff.
Separated Materials
See Swarthmore College Astronomy Department photographs, SFHL-PA-86
Bibliography
AUTHOR Pitman, John H.
TITLE Quaker astronomer--John A. Miller..
PUBLISHER [New Rochelle, N.Y.: Sky publishing corporation], 1941.
AUTHOR Billings, Cecil M., 1885-
TITLE The Rittenhouse Astronomical Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: a history of the Society from 1888 to 1960.
PUBLISHER [Philadelphia, Pa.: Rittenhouse Astronomical Society, 1960?]
AUTHOR Sproul Observatory.
TITLE The Sproul Observatory of Swarthmore College: description and history.
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa., 1948]
AUTHOR Sproul Observatory.
TITLE The Sproul Observatory of Swarthmore College: history and description.
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa., 1958]
Theses and Dissertations
AUTHOR Chang, Kyongae.
TITLE Astrometric study of the visual binary: ADS 7251 AB.
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa.]: Swarthmore College, 1971.
AUTHOR Wanner, James F.
TITLE The 24-inch refractor of the Sproul Observatory, Swarthmore College
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa.: Swarthmore College, Sproul Observatory, 1968]
AUTHOR Villamediana Rincon, Jesus Francisco.
TITLE Parallax, proper motion and orbital motion of VW cephei from combined astrometric and lighttime data.
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa.], 1968.
AUTHOR Gökkaya, Nahide Gün.
TITLE Parallax, proper motion, orbital motion and mass ratio of visual binary system Ci 2456 = [sigma] 2398 from photographs taken with the Sproul 24-inch refractor.
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa.], 1967.
AUTHOR Burton, W. B. (William Butler), 1940-
TITLE Proper motions of six wide double stars.
PUBLISHER Swarthmore, Pa., 1962.
AUTHOR Ianna, Philip A.
TITLE On the aberrations and field errors of the Sproul 24-inch objective.
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa.], 1962.
AUTHOR Wooley, Jon Kenneth.
TITLE An astrometric study of the triple system ADS 48.
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa.], 1962.
AUTHOR McKenna, Virgil Vincent.
TITLE The influence of the apparent size of comparison objects upon size-judgments.
PUBLISHER Swarthmore, Pa., 1959.
AUTHOR Wasser, B. W.
TITLE On the radiative equilibrium of the stars..
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa.], 1927.
AUTHOR Smith, Clifford Edward.
TITLE Stellar photometry..
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa., 1926]
AUTHOR Williams, Earl Larkin.
TITLE Cepheid variable stars..
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa., 1925]
AUTHOR Brock, J. T. B., Mrs.
TITLE Systems of coordinates..
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa.], 1920.
AUTHOR Brown, H. H.
TITLE Determination of parallax of stars by indirect methods..
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa.], 1916.
AUTHOR Darlington, M. S. B., Mrs.
TITLE New or temporary stars..
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa., 1914]
AUTHOR Smith, M. C. R., Mrs.
TITLE "The mechanical theory of the solar corona"..
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa.], 1914.
AUTHOR White, J. A.
TITLE Orbit of the spectroscopie binary Capella..
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa., 1913]
AUTHOR Pitman, J. H.
TITLE Stellar parallax..
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa., 1911]
AUTHOR Barr, Gertrude Powell Griscom.
TITLE Planetary evolution..
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa.], 1902.
AUTHOR Joseph, Joseph Maron.
TITLE Point to the stars / Joseph Maron Joseph, Sarah Lee Lippincott.
PUBLISHER New York: McGraw Hill, 1963.
AUTHOR Lippincott, Sarah Lee, 1920-
TITLE Parallax and orbit analysis of Ross 614.
PUBLISHER [Swarthmore, Pa.], 1950.
Workshops and Colloquia
AUTHOR Conference on Astronomical Research in Small Academic (1954: Swarthmore College)
TITLE Report... / Sponsored by the National Science Foundation and Swarthmore College. Held at Sproul Observatory, Swarthmore College, April 19, 20, 21, 1954.
PUBLISHER [Washington, D.C.: National Science Foundation?], 1954.
AUTHOR Conference on Astronomical Research in Small Academic Departments (Randolph-Macon Woman's College, Lynchburg, Va.)
TITLE Report of the Follow-Up Conference... / Sponsored by Swarthmore College and held at Randolph-Macon Woman's College with the aid of a grant from the National Science Foundation, March 30, 31, April 1, 1957.
PUBLISHER [Washington, D.C.: National Science Foundation, 1958]
TITLE Proceedings of the astrometric conference held in connection with the dedication of the 41-inch astrometric reflector of the Observatory of Torino, 1974, May 26-28 / [Sarah Lee Lippincott, editor]
PUBLISHER [s.l.: s.n.], 1975 (Firenze: Baccini & Chiappi)
AUTHOR International Astronomical Union. Symposium (17th: 1961: Berkeley)
TITLE Visual double stars: [proceedings of a symposium] held in Berkeley, Aug. 11-12, 1961 / edited by Sarah Lee Lippincott.
PUBLISHER [San Francisco?: [s.n.], 1962]
AUTHOR Workshop on Databases for Galactic Structure (1993: Swarthmore College)
TITLE Workshop on Databases for Galactic Structure, May 17-19, 1993: meeting held at Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania / sponsored by Swarthmore College, University of Lausanne, Institute for Space Observations; edited by A.G. Davis Philip, Bernard Hauck, and Arthur R. Upgren.
PUBLISHER Schenactady, N.Y.: L. Davis Press, 1993.
AUTHOR International Astronomical Union. Colloquium (18th: 1972: Swarthmore College)
TITLE Orbital and physical parameters of double stars: proceedings of Colloquium no. 18 of the International Astronomical Union held at Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., April 12-15, 1972 / edited by W.D. Heintz.
PUBLISHER [s.l.: s.n.; 1973]
Processing Information
Some of the eclipse expedition records and photographic plates have been sent to the history of astronomy collection at Dartmouth.
Subject
- International Astronomical Union (Organization)
- Swarthmore College. Astronomy Department (Organization)
- Augensen, Harry John, 1951- (Person)
- Comrie, L. J. (Leslie John), 1893-1950 (Person)
- Cunningham, Susan Jane, 1842-1921 (Person)
- Lippincott, Sarah Lee, 1920- (Person)
- Marriott, Ross Walter, 1882- (Person)
- Miller, John Anthony, 1859-1946 (Person)
- Pittman, John H. (Person)
- Van de Kamp, Peter, 1901-1995 (Person)
- Villamediana, J. Francisco (Person)
- Wanner, James F. (Person)
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Find It at the Library
Most of the materials in this catalog are not digitized and can only be accessed in person. Please see our website for more information about visiting or requesting repoductions from Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College Library
