Hale, George Ellery, 1868-1938
Person
Dates
- Existence: 1868 - 1938
Born in Chicago in 1868, George Ellery Hale received his B.S. from MIT in 1890. Active in the development of astrophysics, he quickly established a distinguished scientific reputation for his invention of the spectroheliograph. He made important contributions to the study of solar phenomena, organized and coedited the Astrophysical Journal, and was the leading figure in the design, funding and construction of the Kenwood, Yerkes, Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories. Hale was also exceedingly energetic in the organization and promotion of the enterprise of science, both at home and abroad. In the United States he played a highly influential role in the National Academy of Sciences. He revivified the Academy almost single-handedly by organizing the National Research Council, obtaining substantial endowment for the NAS, and establishing the critically important National Research Council Fellowships. A founder of the International Union of Cooperation in Solar Research, Foreign Secretary of the National Academy of Sciences, and a frequent delegate to the International Association of Academies, he became deeply involved in the international relations of science before the First World War. Instrumental in the establishment of the International Research Council after the war, he was president of its successor, the International Council of Scientific Unions from 1931 to 1934. Hale settled in Pasadena, California in 1904 to assume the duties of Director of the newly established Mount Wilson Observatory and became deeply involved in the educational and cultural affairs of the area. Among his most important efforts were the creation and development of the California Institute of Technology and the Huntington Library.
Found in 22 Collections and/or Records:
Astronomical Society of the Pacific Bruce Medal
Unprocessed
Identifier: 1992-00059
Dates:
1916-01-01
Benjamin Count Rumford Medal, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Unprocessed
Identifier: 1992-00054
Dates:
1902-01-01
Benjamin Count Rumford Medal, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Unprocessed
Identifier: 1992-00055
Dates:
1902-01-01
Decoration of unknown order, possibly Austrian
Unprocessed
Identifier: 1992-00052
Decoration of unknown order, possibly Belgian
Unprocessed
Identifier: 1992-00051
Franklin Medal, Franklin Institute
Unprocessed
Identifier: 1992-00049
Frederic Ives Medal, Optical Society of America
Unprocessed
Identifier: 2001-00398
Dates:
1935-01-01
Henry Draper Medal, National Academy of Sciences
Unprocessed
Identifier: 1992-00050
Prix Janssen Medal, Societe Astronomique de France
Unprocessed
Identifier: 1992-00061
Dates:
1917-01-01
R. Museo di Fisica E Storia Naturale de Firenze Medal
Unprocessed
Identifier: 1992-00063
Dates:
1920-01-01
