Clinton B. Ford
Encyclopedia
Clinton B. Ford aged 79, was an American
investor, musician and amateur astronomer
specializing in the observation of variable stars.
, was the son of Walter and Edith (Banker) Ford. Ford had one brother, Sylvester Ford (1906–1956). The Ford side of the family hailed from Oneonta, New York
where it survived until the 1930s. Ford's mother's family came from Ovid, New York.
Ford's father, Walter, was a mathematics professor at the University of Michigan
at Ann Arbor. Ford's first brush with the stars came in August 1927 when he went with his father to Boulder, CO to a meeting of the AMA. It was at this point in his life that Ford first saw the splendour the sky could show.
of the AAVSO to contribute to the advancement of astronomy by observing variable stars. Ford took Olcott and the AAVSO up on that invitation and on September 23, 1927, he reported his first variable star estimate - 184205 R Scuti
at 5.3 magnitude.
Ford made over 60,000 variable star observations, and became the youngest member of the American Association of Variable Star Observers
at the age of 15.
, the Middle East
, and Egypt
when he was 15. Ford spent his 16th birthday in Alexandretta. Among several adventures Ford had at the time, one included climbing to the top of the Great Pyramid
and carving his name into it.
Ford also visited several observatories, astronomers, and museums. He used the 6" refractor at the University of Leiden, for example, to make 36 variable star estimates for the AAVSO at this time. Later he visited American astronomer George W. Ritchey then on staff at the Observatoire de Paris where Ritchey told Ford all about his wish to create the 300" 'Apalantic Supertelescope'. We now know this general design today as the 'Ritchey-Chrétien' telescope. Ford also attended a meeting of the Société Astronomique de France while in Paris
.
Ford's astronomical adventures in Europe were brought to a conclusion when he visited Greenwich Observatory and stood, on 31 May, "right below the transit slit, with one foot at 23h 59m 59.999s and the other one at 00h 00m 00.001s."
, and as he finished high school, Ford found himself working for an aging Professor Edwin B. Frost at Yerkes Observatory
partially on the strength of an article he'd written for Popular Astronomy
magazine. While at Yerkes he managed to do some variable star observing with some of the smaller telescopes, trace copies of the AAVSO charts that were in the Yerkes files, and learn about developing astronomical plates.
College saw Ford at the University of Michigan
. Here he nearly decided to major in English and waited until his sophomore year to take his first astronomy course. In August and September 1932 Ford travelled to Maine
to view the total solar eclipse
on 31 August. In the Spring of 1933 Ford resolved to "return to science" with regard to his studies. A year later he gained Professor Heber D. Curtis, famous for his part in the Shapley-Curtis Debate on the nature of the galaxy, as his advisor.
. Later in life, he played violin
with the Stamford Symphony Orchestra of Stamford, Connecticut
.
He became a member of the Ithaca College
Board of Trustees in 1966, and was awarded honorary status in 1988. The college has named its observatory in his honor.
He was famous in amateur astronomical circles for his quote, "Never sleep more than 90 feet from your telescope." In 1987 he won the Amateur Achievement Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
.
The headquarters of the AAVSO in Cambridge, Massachusetts
is named the Clinton B. Ford Astronomical Data and Research Center.
When he died, aged 79, he bequeathed a substantial endowment to the AAVSO which continues to serve as its primary source of operating income.
in southern California named in his honor near Wrightwood (Observatory Code 674). Ithaca College
in New York owns a similarly named facility, Ford Observatory, named in his honor in 1998 (Observatory Code 845); it was previously known as Ithaca College Observatory.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
investor, musician and amateur astronomer
Amateur astronomy
Amateur astronomy, also called backyard astronomy and stargazing, is a hobby whose participants enjoy watching the night sky , and the plethora of objects found in it, mainly with portable telescopes and binoculars...
specializing in the observation of variable stars.
Birth and Family
Clinton B. Ford, born on March 1, 1913 in Ann Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
, was the son of Walter and Edith (Banker) Ford. Ford had one brother, Sylvester Ford (1906–1956). The Ford side of the family hailed from Oneonta, New York
Oneonta, New York
Oneonta is a city in southern Otsego County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, had a population of 13,901. Its nickname is "City of the Hills." While the word "oneonta" is of undetermined origin, it is popularly believed to mean "place of open rocks" in the Iroquois language...
where it survived until the 1930s. Ford's mother's family came from Ovid, New York.
Ford's father, Walter, was a mathematics professor at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
at Ann Arbor. Ford's first brush with the stars came in August 1927 when he went with his father to Boulder, CO to a meeting of the AMA. It was at this point in his life that Ford first saw the splendour the sky could show.
First Brush With the Stars
In the Spring of 1927 Professor Ralph Curtiss loaned Ford two books: Splendour of the Heavens, and The Friendly Stars. In the back of the latter book's original edition there was an invitation by William Tyler OlcottWilliam Tyler Olcott
William Tyler Olcott was an American lawyer and amateur astronomer.In 1909, after attending a lecture by Edward Charles Pickering, he developed an interest in observing variable stars. In 1911, he and professor Pickering...
of the AAVSO to contribute to the advancement of astronomy by observing variable stars. Ford took Olcott and the AAVSO up on that invitation and on September 23, 1927, he reported his first variable star estimate - 184205 R Scuti
R Scuti
R Scuti is a star in the constellation of Scutum. It is a yellow supergiant and is a pulsating variable known as a RV Tauri variable.It was discovered in 1795 by Edward Pigott at a time when only a few variable stars were known to exist...
at 5.3 magnitude.
Ford made over 60,000 variable star observations, and became the youngest member of the American Association of Variable Star Observers
American Association of Variable Star Observers
Since its founding in 1911, the American Association of Variable Star Observers has coordinated, collected, evaluated, analyzed, published, and archived variable star observations made largely by amateur astronomers and makes the records available to professional astronomers, researchers, and...
at the age of 15.
The Voyage to Europe
Ford, by virtue of a sabbatical his father took, was lucky enough to tour EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
when he was 15. Ford spent his 16th birthday in Alexandretta. Among several adventures Ford had at the time, one included climbing to the top of the Great Pyramid
Great Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact...
and carving his name into it.
Ford also visited several observatories, astronomers, and museums. He used the 6" refractor at the University of Leiden, for example, to make 36 variable star estimates for the AAVSO at this time. Later he visited American astronomer George W. Ritchey then on staff at the Observatoire de Paris where Ritchey told Ford all about his wish to create the 300" 'Apalantic Supertelescope'. We now know this general design today as the 'Ritchey-Chrétien' telescope. Ford also attended a meeting of the Société Astronomique de France while in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Ford's astronomical adventures in Europe were brought to a conclusion when he visited Greenwich Observatory and stood, on 31 May, "right below the transit slit, with one foot at 23h 59m 59.999s and the other one at 00h 00m 00.001s."
High School and College
Upon returning from EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and as he finished high school, Ford found himself working for an aging Professor Edwin B. Frost at Yerkes Observatory
Yerkes Observatory
Yerkes Observatory is an astronomical observatory operated by the University of Chicago in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. The observatory, which calls itself "the birthplace of modern astrophysics," was founded in 1897 by George Ellery Hale and financed by Charles T. Yerkes...
partially on the strength of an article he'd written for Popular Astronomy
Popular Astronomy (US magazine)
Popular Astronomy was a magazine for amateur astronomers published between 1893 and 1951. It was the successor to The Sidereal Messenger, which ceased publication in 1892. Each yearly volume of Popular Astronomy contained 10 issues, for a total of 59 volumes.The first editor, from 1893-1911, was...
magazine. While at Yerkes he managed to do some variable star observing with some of the smaller telescopes, trace copies of the AAVSO charts that were in the Yerkes files, and learn about developing astronomical plates.
College saw Ford at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. Here he nearly decided to major in English and waited until his sophomore year to take his first astronomy course. In August and September 1932 Ford travelled to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to view the total solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
on 31 August. In the Spring of 1933 Ford resolved to "return to science" with regard to his studies. A year later he gained Professor Heber D. Curtis, famous for his part in the Shapley-Curtis Debate on the nature of the galaxy, as his advisor.
Post College
He served in the US Navy in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Later in life, he played violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
with the Stamford Symphony Orchestra of Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
.
He became a member of the Ithaca College
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...
Board of Trustees in 1966, and was awarded honorary status in 1988. The college has named its observatory in his honor.
He was famous in amateur astronomical circles for his quote, "Never sleep more than 90 feet from your telescope." In 1987 he won the Amateur Achievement Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific is a scientific and educational organization, founded in San Francisco on February 7, 1889. Its name derives from its origins on the Pacific Coast, but today it has members all over the country and the world...
.
The headquarters of the AAVSO in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
is named the Clinton B. Ford Astronomical Data and Research Center.
When he died, aged 79, he bequeathed a substantial endowment to the AAVSO which continues to serve as its primary source of operating income.
Ford Observatories
The AAVSO also owns Ford ObservatoryFord Observatory (Wrightwood)
This article is about the California observatory. For the New York location see Ford Observatory .The Clinton B. Ford Observatory is an astronomical observatory that is associated historically with the American Association of Variable Star Observers...
in southern California named in his honor near Wrightwood (Observatory Code 674). Ithaca College
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...
in New York owns a similarly named facility, Ford Observatory, named in his honor in 1998 (Observatory Code 845); it was previously known as Ithaca College Observatory.