John Daggett Hooker
Encyclopedia
John Daggett Hooker was an American
ironmaster
, amateur scientist and astronomer
, and philanthropist
who made the initial donations for the Hooker Telescope.
, he moved to San Francisco, California in 1861. He married Katharine Putnam Hooker in 1869, and they had a daughter in 1875 and a son in 1878. They moved to Los Angeles
sometime after the birth of their children. He made his fortune in hardware and steel-pipe, rising to Vice President of Baker Iron Works. He then went on to serve as President of Western Union Oil Company. He founded the California Academy of Sciences
.
Through a collaboration with George Ellery Hale
, he brought Mount a 10-inch telescope
to the Mount Wilson Solar Observatory. He later partly funded the creation of the 100-inch reflector, with additional underwriting via the Carnegie Institute
. A falling-out between Hooker and Hale lasted until Hooker's death in 1911, but the remaining funds were secured, and the telescope became operational in 1917.
Hooker was also an important benefactor to naturalist John Muir
, who stayed at Hooker's home several times in 1910 and 1911, where he did much of his writing from that time.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ironmaster
Ironmaster
An ironmaster is the manager – and usually owner – of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain....
, amateur scientist and astronomer
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...
, and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
who made the initial donations for the Hooker Telescope.
Life and career
Born in Hinsdale, New HampshireHinsdale, New Hampshire
Hinsdale is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,046 at the 2010 census. Hinsdale is home to part of Pisgah State Park in the northeast, and part of Wantastiquet Mountain State Forest in the northwest....
, he moved to San Francisco, California in 1861. He married Katharine Putnam Hooker in 1869, and they had a daughter in 1875 and a son in 1878. They moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
sometime after the birth of their children. He made his fortune in hardware and steel-pipe, rising to Vice President of Baker Iron Works. He then went on to serve as President of Western Union Oil Company. He founded the California Academy of Sciences
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is among the largest museums of natural history in the world. The academy began in 1853 as a learned society and still carries out a large amount of original research, with exhibits and education becoming significant endeavors of the museum during the twentieth...
.
Through a collaboration with George Ellery Hale
George Ellery Hale
George Ellery Hale was an American solar astronomer.-Biography:Hale was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was educated at MIT, at the Observatory of Harvard College, , and at Berlin . As an undergraduate at MIT, he is known for inventing the spectroheliograph, with which he made his discovery of...
, he brought Mount a 10-inch telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
to the Mount Wilson Solar Observatory. He later partly funded the creation of the 100-inch reflector, with additional underwriting via the Carnegie Institute
Carnegie Institute
Carnegie Institute can refer to:*Carnegie Institute, operator of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania*Carnegie Institution for Science , Washington, D.C....
. A falling-out between Hooker and Hale lasted until Hooker's death in 1911, but the remaining funds were secured, and the telescope became operational in 1917.
Hooker was also an important benefactor to naturalist John Muir
John Muir
John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions...
, who stayed at Hooker's home several times in 1910 and 1911, where he did much of his writing from that time.
External links
- John Daggett Hooker via West Adams Heritage Association