Ormond Stone
Encyclopedia
Ormond Stone was an astronomer
, mathematician
and educator. He was the director of Cincinnati Observatory
and subsequently the first director of the McCormick Observatory
at the University of Virginia
, where he trained a significant number of scientists. He served as the editor of the Annals of Mathematics
and towards the end of his life made donations which led to the founding of the Fairfax Public Library System.
to Methodist minister Elijah Stone and Sophia Creighton. While attending Chicago High School, he met Truman Henry Safford
, an astronomer at the recently completed Dearborn Observatory
and Stone became his pupil, quickly beginning his life-long interest in astronomy. In 1866 Stone enrolled at the University of Chicago
, graduating with a degree of master's degree
in 1870. Working his way through school, he served as an instructor in 1867-1868 at Racine College
in Wisconsin
, then at the Northwestern Female College (which is now a part of Northwestern University
) at Evanston, Illinois
in 1869. Also that year, he participated in what would be the first of three eclipse
expeditions in his lifetime. It was on this trip to Des Moines, Iowa
with Safford that he met astronomers from the United States Naval Observatory
. He would end up being in charge of the later two expeditions, the first in 1878, when he led the USNO expedition to Colorado
, and the May 28, 1900 eclipse, when he led the McCormick Observatory
expedition to Winesboro, South Carolina
. Upon graduating from the University of Chicago in 1870, he accepted an assistantship at the USNO where he stayed until 1875. He was assigned to the Meridian Circle
, under William Harkness
. His tenure there coincided with the arrival of the 26 inches (660.4 mm) Alvan Clark
refractor at the Naval Observatory. This telescope was essentially a twin to the future McCormick Refractor. In 1871, he married Catherine Flagler of Washington, D.C.
.
, having received a recommendation from Simon Newcomb
. While there, he instituted a program of discovering new southern double stars and was the first to establish standard time
for an American city, and he pushed for the adoption of Standard Time Belts
(or zones, as we now know them).
, and was accompanied from Cincinnati by John Jones and Frank P. Leavenworth. Stone oversaw the final stages of construction on the Observatory, which was completed for use in 1885, but began astronomical work almost immediately upon his arrival in Charlottesville. Stone's work focused largely on observing nebulae, southern variables and double stars.
As director, Stone's responsibilities included fundraising, which he detested and did very poorly. Though the Observatory was always short of funds, he used funds donated by William Henry Vanderbilt
to establish three fellowships, $350 for a year, to pay for assistants at the observatory. The list of Vanderbilt Fellows that worked under Stone was an impressive one and included astronomers, university presidents, professors and professionals in various fields, including:
Francis P. Leavenworth, Director of Haverford Observatory, Professor of Astronomy at the University of Minnesota
; Harry Y. Benedict, Tenth President of the University of Texas at Austin
; Edgar Odell Lovett
, first President of Rice Institute (now Rice University
); Heber Doust Curtis
, director of Lick Observatory
and Allegheny Observatory
; James Park McCallie, founder of the McCallie School; George F. Paddock, Assistant Astronomer at Lick Observatory
; Charles P. Olivier, Director of Flower and Cook Observatory and Chair of the Astronomy Department, University of Pennsylvania
; Herbert R. Morgan, astronomer at the United States Naval Observatory
; and Ralph Elmer Wilson
, astronomer at Dudley Observatory
and Mount Wilson Observatory
.
Stone remained at the McCormick Observatory until 1912. In his time there, he taught various astronomy courses for the University, founded the Annals of Mathematics
in 1884, funded the publication with his own money, and edited the journal until 1899 (after which he served on the editorial board), founded the Philosophical Society at UVA and spent much of the final ten years of his directorship in the cause for secondary education in Virginia. He was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
(Member: 1875; Fellow: 1876; Chair, Committee on Standard Time: 1880; Member of Committee on Stellar Magnitudes: 1880; Vice-President, Astronomy and Mathematics: 1887; Vice-President of Section A: Astrometry, of Department 11: Astronomy: 1888; Chair: 1901 Councilor, Section A, Mathematics and Astronomy: 1902-1905; Sectional Committee, Section A: 1905-1907; Emeritus Life Member: 1927), the American Astronomical and Astrophysical Society, now known as the American Astronomical Society (Councilor 1899-1909), and the American Mathematical Society (Councilor 1897), among many other academic societies. He served on the Board of Visitors (as Secretary) for the United States Naval Observatory from 1901 to 1903, served on the first Advisory Committee on Mathematics for the Carnegie Institution of Washington starting in 1902, and was a trustee of Harrisonburg Normal College (now James Madison University
). He also maintained contacts with people of influence across the country, including his brother Melville E. Stone
, the founder of the Chicago Daily News
, who became well known as the General Manager of Associated Press
.
. Stone attended a local, little stone Methodist church on Braddock Road, now known as the Church of the Ascension, Anglican
. His wife died in 1914 and he later married Mary Florence Brennan of Lansing, Michigan
. He brought Mary back to Centreville along with her two sisters Grace and Elizabeth. He continued to be active in the educational, religious and social problems of his local community and the state.
He served as Vice President of the Virginia State Teachers' Association, and was a leader in the movement to improve Virginia's public school system (in 1991, an Ormond Stone Middle School was opened in Fairfax County to honor his work).
In November 1929, Professor Stone and his friend, lawyer Thomas Keith approached the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to request space to begin a library. The County provided no funds, but a small space in an old office in the courthouse and it was the first step in the eventual establishment of the Fairfax County Public Library System. Stone spent much of his last years gathering and organizing donated books for this small library.
.
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
, mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and educator. He was the director of Cincinnati Observatory
Cincinnati Observatory
The Cincinnati Observatory, located in Cincinnati, Ohio on top of Mt. Lookout. It consists of two observatory buildings housing an 11 inch and 16 inch aperture refracting telescope. It is the oldest professional observatory in the United States...
and subsequently the first director of the McCormick Observatory
McCormick Observatory
The McCormick Observatory is one of the astronomical observatories operated by the Department of Astronomy of the University of Virginia and is situated just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia in Albemarle County on the summit of Mount Jefferson . It is named for Leander J...
at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, where he trained a significant number of scientists. He served as the editor of the Annals of Mathematics
Annals of Mathematics
The Annals of Mathematics is a bimonthly mathematical journal published by Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study. It ranks amongst the most prestigious mathematics journals in the world by criteria such as impact factor.-History:The journal began as The Analyst in 1874 and was...
and towards the end of his life made donations which led to the founding of the Fairfax Public Library System.
Early years
Stone was born in Pekin, IllinoisPekin, Illinois
Pekin is a the county seat of Tazewell County in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located on the Illinois River, Pekin is also the largest city of Tazewell County, and a key part of the Peoria metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, its population is 34,094. A small portion of the city limits extends...
to Methodist minister Elijah Stone and Sophia Creighton. While attending Chicago High School, he met Truman Henry Safford
Truman Henry Safford
Truman Henry Safford was an American calculating prodigy. In later life he was an observatory director.He was born in Royalton, Vermont, USA on 6 January, 1836. At an early age he attracted public attention by his remarkable calculation powers. At the age of nine, a local priest asked him to...
, an astronomer at the recently completed Dearborn Observatory
Dearborn Observatory
The Dearborn Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on the Evanston campus of Northwestern University. The observatory was originally constructed in 1888...
and Stone became his pupil, quickly beginning his life-long interest in astronomy. In 1866 Stone enrolled at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, graduating with a degree of master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in 1870. Working his way through school, he served as an instructor in 1867-1868 at Racine College
Racine College
Racine College was an Episcopal college in Racine, Wisconsin, founded in 1852. The collegiate department closed in 1887, but the college continued to be used as a grammar school and a military school until it closed in 1933....
in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, then at the Northwestern Female College (which is now a part of Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
) at Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
in 1869. Also that year, he participated in what would be the first of three eclipse
Eclipse
An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object is temporarily obscured, either by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer...
expeditions in his lifetime. It was on this trip to Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
with Safford that he met astronomers from the United States Naval Observatory
United States Naval Observatory
The United States Naval Observatory is one of the oldest scientific agencies in the United States, with a primary mission to produce Positioning, Navigation, and Timing for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense...
. He would end up being in charge of the later two expeditions, the first in 1878, when he led the USNO expedition to Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, and the May 28, 1900 eclipse, when he led the McCormick Observatory
McCormick Observatory
The McCormick Observatory is one of the astronomical observatories operated by the Department of Astronomy of the University of Virginia and is situated just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia in Albemarle County on the summit of Mount Jefferson . It is named for Leander J...
expedition to Winesboro, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. Upon graduating from the University of Chicago in 1870, he accepted an assistantship at the USNO where he stayed until 1875. He was assigned to the Meridian Circle
Meridian circle
The meridian circle, transit circle, or transit telescope is an instrument for observing the time of stars passing the meridian, at the same time measuring its angular distance from the zenith...
, under William Harkness
William Harkness
William Harkness was an astronomer, born at Ecclefechan, Scotland, a son of James Harkness . He was educated at Lafayette College , graduated from the University of Rochester , and studied medicine in New York City. He served as a surgeon in the Union armies during part of the American Civil War...
. His tenure there coincided with the arrival of the 26 inches (660.4 mm) Alvan Clark
Alvan Clark
Alvan Clark , born in Ashfield, Massachusetts, the descendant of a Cape Cod whaling family of English ancestry, was an American astronomer and telescope maker. He was a portrait painter and engraver , and at the age of 40 became involved in telescope making...
refractor at the Naval Observatory. This telescope was essentially a twin to the future McCormick Refractor. In 1871, he married Catherine Flagler of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.
Cincinnati Observatory
In 1875, Stone accepted the directorship of the Cincinnati ObservatoryCincinnati Observatory
The Cincinnati Observatory, located in Cincinnati, Ohio on top of Mt. Lookout. It consists of two observatory buildings housing an 11 inch and 16 inch aperture refracting telescope. It is the oldest professional observatory in the United States...
, having received a recommendation from Simon Newcomb
Simon Newcomb
Simon Newcomb was a Canadian-American astronomer and mathematician. Though he had little conventional schooling, he made important contributions to timekeeping as well as writing on economics and statistics and authoring a science fiction novel.-Early life:Simon Newcomb was born in the town of...
. While there, he instituted a program of discovering new southern double stars and was the first to establish standard time
Standard time
Standard time is the result of synchronizing clocks in different geographical locations within a time zone to the same time rather than using the local meridian as in local mean time or solar time. Historically, this helped in the process of weather forecasting and train travel. The concept...
for an American city, and he pushed for the adoption of Standard Time Belts
Time zone
A time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
(or zones, as we now know them).
McCormick Observatory
In 1882, Stone was offered the position of director at the brand new observatory being built at the University of VirginiaUniversity of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, and was accompanied from Cincinnati by John Jones and Frank P. Leavenworth. Stone oversaw the final stages of construction on the Observatory, which was completed for use in 1885, but began astronomical work almost immediately upon his arrival in Charlottesville. Stone's work focused largely on observing nebulae, southern variables and double stars.
As director, Stone's responsibilities included fundraising, which he detested and did very poorly. Though the Observatory was always short of funds, he used funds donated by William Henry Vanderbilt
William Henry Vanderbilt
William Henry Vanderbilt I was an American businessman and a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family.-Childhood:William Vanderbilt was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1821...
to establish three fellowships, $350 for a year, to pay for assistants at the observatory. The list of Vanderbilt Fellows that worked under Stone was an impressive one and included astronomers, university presidents, professors and professionals in various fields, including:
Francis P. Leavenworth, Director of Haverford Observatory, Professor of Astronomy at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
; Harry Y. Benedict, Tenth President of the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
; Edgar Odell Lovett
Edgar Odell Lovett
Edgar Odell Lovett was an American educator and education administrator.He was the first president of Rice Institute in Houston, Texas...
, first President of Rice Institute (now Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
); Heber Doust Curtis
Heber Doust Curtis
Heber Doust Curtis was an American astronomer.He studied at the University of Michigan and at the University of Virginia, where he got a degree in astronomy....
, director of Lick Observatory
Lick Observatory
The Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory, owned and operated by the University of California. It is situated on the summit of Mount Hamilton, in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose, California, USA...
and Allegheny Observatory
Allegheny Observatory
The Allegheny Observatory is an American astronomical research institution, a part of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pittsburgh. The facility is listed on the National Register of Historical Places The Allegheny Observatory is an American astronomical research...
; James Park McCallie, founder of the McCallie School; George F. Paddock, Assistant Astronomer at Lick Observatory
Lick Observatory
The Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory, owned and operated by the University of California. It is situated on the summit of Mount Hamilton, in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose, California, USA...
; Charles P. Olivier, Director of Flower and Cook Observatory and Chair of the Astronomy Department, University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
; Herbert R. Morgan, astronomer at the United States Naval Observatory
United States Naval Observatory
The United States Naval Observatory is one of the oldest scientific agencies in the United States, with a primary mission to produce Positioning, Navigation, and Timing for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense...
; and Ralph Elmer Wilson
Ralph Elmer Wilson
Ralph Elmer Wilson was an American astronomer.He earned his B.A. from Carleton College and entered the University of Virginia in 1906, where he earned his Ph.D. in 1910 based on his work at the Leander Mccormick Observatory working with Ormond Stone. He then worked at the Dudley Observatory and by...
, astronomer at Dudley Observatory
Dudley Observatory
Dudley Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Along with Albany College of Pharmacy, Albany Law School, Albany Medical College, the Graduate College of Union University, and Union College, it is one of the constituent entities of Union...
and Mount Wilson Observatory
Mount Wilson Observatory
The Mount Wilson Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The MWO is located on Mount Wilson, a 5,715 foot peak in the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena, northeast of Los Angeles...
.
Stone remained at the McCormick Observatory until 1912. In his time there, he taught various astronomy courses for the University, founded the Annals of Mathematics
Annals of Mathematics
The Annals of Mathematics is a bimonthly mathematical journal published by Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study. It ranks amongst the most prestigious mathematics journals in the world by criteria such as impact factor.-History:The journal began as The Analyst in 1874 and was...
in 1884, funded the publication with his own money, and edited the journal until 1899 (after which he served on the editorial board), founded the Philosophical Society at UVA and spent much of the final ten years of his directorship in the cause for secondary education in Virginia. He was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
(Member: 1875; Fellow: 1876; Chair, Committee on Standard Time: 1880; Member of Committee on Stellar Magnitudes: 1880; Vice-President, Astronomy and Mathematics: 1887; Vice-President of Section A: Astrometry, of Department 11: Astronomy: 1888; Chair: 1901 Councilor, Section A, Mathematics and Astronomy: 1902-1905; Sectional Committee, Section A: 1905-1907; Emeritus Life Member: 1927), the American Astronomical and Astrophysical Society, now known as the American Astronomical Society (Councilor 1899-1909), and the American Mathematical Society (Councilor 1897), among many other academic societies. He served on the Board of Visitors (as Secretary) for the United States Naval Observatory from 1901 to 1903, served on the first Advisory Committee on Mathematics for the Carnegie Institution of Washington starting in 1902, and was a trustee of Harrisonburg Normal College (now James Madison University
James Madison University
James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
). He also maintained contacts with people of influence across the country, including his brother Melville E. Stone
Melville E. Stone
Melville Elijah Stone was a newspaper publisher, the founder of the Chicago Daily News, and was the general manager of the reorganized Associated Press.-Biography:...
, the founder of the Chicago Daily News
Chicago Daily News
The Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
, who became well known as the General Manager of Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
.
Fairfax County Public Library
He retired on a stipend from the Carnegie Foundation in 1912 to a 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) farm in Centreville, VirginiaCentreville, Virginia
Centreville is an unincorporated community in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau as a Census Designated Place , the community population was 71,135 as of the 2010 census and is approximately west of Washington, DC.-Colonial Period:Beginning in the 1760s,...
. Stone attended a local, little stone Methodist church on Braddock Road, now known as the Church of the Ascension, Anglican
Church of the Ascension, Anglican
The Church of the Ascension is in Centreville, Virginia. The church building is also known locally as "The Old Stone Church."-History:The Church of the Ascension, like many continuing Anglican movements of today, began with a group of concerned men and women who were dissatisfied with the direction...
. His wife died in 1914 and he later married Mary Florence Brennan of Lansing, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
. He brought Mary back to Centreville along with her two sisters Grace and Elizabeth. He continued to be active in the educational, religious and social problems of his local community and the state.
He served as Vice President of the Virginia State Teachers' Association, and was a leader in the movement to improve Virginia's public school system (in 1991, an Ormond Stone Middle School was opened in Fairfax County to honor his work).
In November 1929, Professor Stone and his friend, lawyer Thomas Keith approached the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to request space to begin a library. The County provided no funds, but a small space in an old office in the courthouse and it was the first step in the eventual establishment of the Fairfax County Public Library System. Stone spent much of his last years gathering and organizing donated books for this small library.
Death
He died just six days after his eighty-sixth birthday, when he was struck and instantly killed by a C&P Telephone Company vehicle, while walking along the road near his farm in Centreville, VirginiaCentreville, Virginia
Centreville is an unincorporated community in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau as a Census Designated Place , the community population was 71,135 as of the 2010 census and is approximately west of Washington, DC.-Colonial Period:Beginning in the 1760s,...
.
External links
- Biographical sketch of Ormond Stone by the McCormick ObservatoryMcCormick ObservatoryThe McCormick Observatory is one of the astronomical observatories operated by the Department of Astronomy of the University of Virginia and is situated just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia in Albemarle County on the summit of Mount Jefferson . It is named for Leander J...
- About Ormond Stone