Charles Clayton Wylie was the first PhD graduate from University of Illinois' astronomy department. He graduated with his doctorate in 1922 for his work "The Eclipsing Binary Sigma Aquilae, the Cepheid Variable Eta Aquilae." He remained at the University of Illinois Observatory

University of Illinois Observatory

The University of Illinois Astronomical Observatory was constructed in 1896. It stands on South Matthews Avenue in Urbana, Champaign County, Illinois. The observatory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 6, 1986 and on December 20, 1989, the U.S. Department of Interior...

 as an instructor until 1925 when he left for the University of Iowa

University of Iowa

The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...

 where he remained for the rest of his career. Trained in photoelectric photometry by Joel Stebbins

Joel Stebbins

Joel Stebbins was an American astronomer who pioneered photoelectric photometry in astronomy. He earned his Ph.D at the University of California. He was director of the University of Illinois Observatory from 1903 to 1922 where he performed innovative work with the selenium cell...

, he shifted his research focus to meteors and meteorites because of the lack of equipment at Iowa City. He authored several books including "Our starland: An easy guide to the study of the heavens," "Astronomy, maps, and weather," and "Problems in Practical Astronomy."