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Contact: George Wise, 518-382-7583

Scholars Illuminating 19th Century Astronomy Earn Pollock Awards

Dr. Patricia Whitesell of the University of Michigan and Tom English of Gardner Webb University are the co-winners of the 2001 Herbert C. Pollock Award supporting original work in the history of astronomy . The prizes will help them continue their research on the achievements of a German born astronomer who helped put two 19th century U.S. observatories into action, and the history of expeditions undertaken by U.S. astronomers between 1860 and 1900 to observe and study eclipses of the sun. The Pollock Award is presented by the Dudley Observatory of Schenectady, New York.

Whitesell, Director and Curator of the University of Michigan Detroit Observatory, won the award to pursue her research on "Franz Brunnow's Year of Leadership at the Dudley Observatory, 1859-1860". A native of Ann Arbor, she holds a B.A. degree from Olivet College, and a Ph.D. in History of Higher Education from the University of Michigan . Her work on restoring the Detroit Observatory to its 19th century splendor has won awards from Michigan Historic Preservation Network and the American Association for State and Local History. She is author of the book A Creation of His Own: Tappan's Detroit Observatory, as well as articles in the history of astronomy.

Brunnow, the subject of her research, earned the Ph.D in astronomy at Berlin and came to the U.S in the 1850s to direct the Detroit Observatory. He later assumed the post of associate director of the Dudley Observatory. These were two of the major observatories set up in the U.S. I the mid 19th century, and they helped launch the rise of the U.S, to prominence in astronomical research. At both observatories Brunnow was a key contributor, setting up and putting into operation at each place a specialized type of telescope called a meridian circle, used to make precise observations of the positions of the stars.

English, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Director of the Williams Observatory at Gardner &endash;Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, won the award to further his research on "Solar Eclipse Expeditions in Amercica, 1869- 1900.A native of Archdale , N.C., English holds a B.S. in physics from Guilford College and an M.S. in physics from the University of Georgia. In his 11 years at Gardner-Webb he has taught introductory astronomy and physics and worked to develop the Williams Observatory into an active public outreach facility for people of all ages with an interest in astronomy.

The expeditions he will study took teams of astronomers to the often remote locations where total eclipses of the sun were predicted to occur. Participants ranged from leaders of U.S. astronomy such as George Ellery Hale to interested amateurs such as Thomas Edison. "Examination of the participants, their instrumentation and support , their methods of planning and observation, and their accounts of the events," English notes, "should provide a clear view of the state of American astronomy a century ago."

The Pollock Award, presented annually by the Dudley Observatory, provides encouragement and financial support for innovative projects in the history of astronomy or astrophysics. The award is named for Herbert C. Pollock , an outstanding 20th century physicist and a leader of the Dudley Observatory. That Observatory, the sponsor of the award, is a private foundation supporting research and education in astronomy, astrophysics, and the history of astronomy. Founded in 1852, it is the oldest independent organization in the U.S. supporting astronomical research.

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