Thomas Corwin Mendenhall
Encyclopedia
Thomas Corwin Mendenhall (October 4, 1841 – March 23, 1924) was an autodidact US
physicist
and meteorologist.
to Stephen Mendenhall, a farmer
and carriage-maker,
and Mary Thomas, and married Susan Allan Marple in 1870. The couple had one child. In 1852 the family moved to Marlboro, Ohio and Mendenhall became principal of the local primary school in 1858. He formalized his teaching qualifications at Southwest Normal School
in 1861 with an Instructor Normalis qualification.
He taught at a number of high school
s, gaining an impressive reputation as a teacher and educator until 1873 when, although lacking conventional academic credentials, he was appointed professor of physics
and mechanics at the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. The College ultimately became Ohio State University
, Mendenhall being the first member of the original faculty.
In 1878, on the recommendation of Edward S. Morse
, he was recruited to help the modernization of Meiji Era Japan
as one of the o-yatoi gaikokujin
(hired foreigners), serving as visiting professor of physics at Tokyo Imperial University. In connection with this appointment he founded a meteorological
observatory in which systematic observations were made during his residence in Japan. From measurements using a Kater's pendulum
of the force of gravity at the sea level and at the summit of Mount Fuji
, Mendenhall deduced a value for the mass of the Earth that agreed closely with that which Francis Baily
had obtained in England
by another method. He also made a series of elaborate measurements of the wavelengths of the solar spectrum by means of a large spectrometer
. He also became interested in earthquake
s while in Japan, and was one of the founders of the Seismological Society of Japan
(SSJ). During his time in Japan, he also gave public lectures on various scientific topics to general audiences in temples and in theaters.
Returning to Ohio
in 1881, Mendenhall was instrumental in developing the Ohio State Meteorological Service. He devised a system of weather signals for display on railroad trains. This method became general throughout the United States and Canada.
He became professor at the US Signal Corps in 1884, introducing of systematic observations of lightning
, and investigating methods for determining ground temperatures. He was the first to establish stations in the United States for the systematic observation of earthquake phenomena.
Resigning in 1886, Mendenhall took up the presidency of the Rose Polytechnic Institute in Terre Haute, Indiana
before becoming superintendent of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1889. During his time as superintendent, he issued the Mendenhall Order
and oversaw the consequent transition of the United States's weights and measures from the customary system, based on that of England
, to the metric system
. Mendenhall remained a strong proponent for the official adoption of the metric system all his life. Also, as superintendent of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, he was also responsible for defining the exact national boundary between the United States (Alaska
) and Canada
. Mendenhall was president of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute
from 1894 until 1901 when he emigrated to Europe
.
He returned to the United States in 1912. He was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Ohio State University in 1919, and is remembered for his successful efforts to close the College of Homeopathic Medicine and his unsuccessful effort to limit the capacity of Ohio Stadium
to 45,000 seats, contending that it would never be able to fill to its design capacity of 63,000 seats.
He continued to serve as a trustee until his death at Ravenna, Ohio
in 1924.
, the quantitative analysis of writing style. Prompted by a suggestion made by the English mathematician Augustus de Morgan
in 1851, Mendenhall attempted to characterize the style of different authors through the frequency distribution
of words of various lengths. After generating the relevant statistics from published works, he applied his "word spectra" methods to a comparison of the works of William Shakespeare
and Sir Francis Bacon. He found that the results did not support long-standing claims that Bacon was the true author of the works usually attributed to Shakespeare. It has however since been shown by Williams that Mendenhall failed to take into account "genre differences" that could invalidate his conclusions.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and meteorologist.
Biography
Mendenhall was born in Hanoverton, OhioHanoverton, Ohio
Hanoverton is a village in Hanover Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. The population was 387 at the 2000 census.Hanoverton is home to the historic Spread Eagle Tavern, an inn/restaurant which has been visited by Abraham Lincoln, Dan Quayle, Dick Cheney, and most recently John McCain,...
to Stephen Mendenhall, a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
and carriage-maker,
and Mary Thomas, and married Susan Allan Marple in 1870. The couple had one child. In 1852 the family moved to Marlboro, Ohio and Mendenhall became principal of the local primary school in 1858. He formalized his teaching qualifications at Southwest Normal School
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
in 1861 with an Instructor Normalis qualification.
He taught at a number of high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s, gaining an impressive reputation as a teacher and educator until 1873 when, although lacking conventional academic credentials, he was appointed professor of physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and mechanics at the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. The College ultimately became Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, Mendenhall being the first member of the original faculty.
In 1878, on the recommendation of Edward S. Morse
Edward S. Morse
Edward Sylvester Morse was an American zoologist and orientalist.-Early life:Morse was born in Portland, Maine as the son of a Congregationalist preacher. His mother, who did not share her husband's religious beliefs, encouraged her son's interest in the sciences...
, he was recruited to help the modernization of Meiji Era Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as one of the o-yatoi gaikokujin
O-yatoi gaikokujin
The Foreign government advisors in Meiji Japan, known in Japanese as oyatoi gaikokujin , were those foreign advisors hired by the Japanese government for their specialized knowledge to assist in the modernization of Japan at the end of the Bakufu and during the Meiji era. The term is sometimes...
(hired foreigners), serving as visiting professor of physics at Tokyo Imperial University. In connection with this appointment he founded a meteorological
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
observatory in which systematic observations were made during his residence in Japan. From measurements using a Kater's pendulum
Kater's pendulum
A Kater's pendulum is a reversible freeswinging pendulum invented by British physicist and army captain Henry Kater in 1817 for use as a gravimeter instrument to measure the local acceleration of gravity. Its advantage is that, unlike previous pendulum gravimetry methods, the pendulum's centre of...
of the force of gravity at the sea level and at the summit of Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji
is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
, Mendenhall deduced a value for the mass of the Earth that agreed closely with that which Francis Baily
Francis Baily
Francis Baily was an English astronomer, most famous for his observations of 'Baily's beads' during an eclipse of the Sun.-Life:Baily was born at Newbury in Berkshire in 1774...
had obtained in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
by another method. He also made a series of elaborate measurements of the wavelengths of the solar spectrum by means of a large spectrometer
Spectrometer
A spectrometer is an instrument used to measure properties of light over a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, typically used in spectroscopic analysis to identify materials. The variable measured is most often the light's intensity but could also, for instance, be the polarization...
. He also became interested in earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s while in Japan, and was one of the founders of the Seismological Society of Japan
Seismological Society of Japan
The or SSJ is a learned society with the goal of advancing the understanding of earthquakes and other seismic phenomena.-History:...
(SSJ). During his time in Japan, he also gave public lectures on various scientific topics to general audiences in temples and in theaters.
Returning to Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in 1881, Mendenhall was instrumental in developing the Ohio State Meteorological Service. He devised a system of weather signals for display on railroad trains. This method became general throughout the United States and Canada.
He became professor at the US Signal Corps in 1884, introducing of systematic observations of lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
, and investigating methods for determining ground temperatures. He was the first to establish stations in the United States for the systematic observation of earthquake phenomena.
Resigning in 1886, Mendenhall took up the presidency of the Rose Polytechnic Institute in Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
before becoming superintendent of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1889. During his time as superintendent, he issued the Mendenhall Order
Mendenhall Order
The Mendenhall Order marked a decision to change the fundamental standards of length and mass of the United States from the customary standards based on those of England to metric standards. It was issued on April 5, 1893 by Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, superintendent of the U.S...
and oversaw the consequent transition of the United States's weights and measures from the customary system, based on that of England
Imperial unit
The system of imperial units or the imperial system is the system of units first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act of 1824, which was later refined and reduced. The system came into official use across the British Empire...
, to the metric system
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
. Mendenhall remained a strong proponent for the official adoption of the metric system all his life. Also, as superintendent of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, he was also responsible for defining the exact national boundary between the United States (Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
) and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Mendenhall was president of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private university located in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States.Founded in 1865 in Worcester, WPI was one of the United States' first engineering and technology universities...
from 1894 until 1901 when he emigrated to Europe
Europe
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...
.
He returned to the United States in 1912. He was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Ohio State University in 1919, and is remembered for his successful efforts to close the College of Homeopathic Medicine and his unsuccessful effort to limit the capacity of Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium is the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is located on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974...
to 45,000 seats, contending that it would never be able to fill to its design capacity of 63,000 seats.
He continued to serve as a trustee until his death at Ravenna, Ohio
Ravenna, Ohio
* Chris Bangle; automobile designer* Bill Bower, last surviving pilot of the Doolittle Raid* David D. Busch; best-selling author* William Rufus Day; U.S. Supreme Court justice* Calvin Hampton; Classical organist* Robert B...
in 1924.
Work on stylometry
In 1901 Mendenhall published one of the earliest attempts at stylometryStylometry
Stylometry is the application of the study of linguistic style, usually to written language, but it has successfully been applied to music and to fine-art paintings as well.Stylometry is often used to attribute authorship to anonymous or disputed documents...
, the quantitative analysis of writing style. Prompted by a suggestion made by the English mathematician Augustus de Morgan
Augustus De Morgan
Augustus De Morgan was a British mathematician and logician. He formulated De Morgan's laws and introduced the term mathematical induction, making its idea rigorous. The crater De Morgan on the Moon is named after him....
in 1851, Mendenhall attempted to characterize the style of different authors through the frequency distribution
Frequency distribution
In statistics, a frequency distribution is an arrangement of the values that one or more variables take in a sample. Each entry in the table contains the frequency or count of the occurrences of values within a particular group or interval, and in this way, the table summarizes the distribution of...
of words of various lengths. After generating the relevant statistics from published works, he applied his "word spectra" methods to a comparison of the works of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
and Sir Francis Bacon. He found that the results did not support long-standing claims that Bacon was the true author of the works usually attributed to Shakespeare. It has however since been shown by Williams that Mendenhall failed to take into account "genre differences" that could invalidate his conclusions.
Honors
- Honorary Ph.D.Doctor of PhilosophyDoctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from Ohio, (1878); - Member of the National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
, (1887); - LL.D. from the University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe 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...
, (1887); - President of the American Association for the Advancement of SciencePresident of the American Association for the Advancement of ScienceThe American Association for the Advancement of Science , founded in 1848, is the world's largest general scientific society. It serves 262 affiliated societies and academies of science and engineering, representing 10 million individuals worldwide...
, (1889); - The Mendenhall ValleyMendenhall ValleyMendenhall Valley is an area of Juneau in the U.S. state of Alaska. The valley, named for physicist and meteorologist Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, was formed by Mendenhall Glacier over the course of roughly three thousand years...
and glacierMendenhall GlacierMendenhall Glacier is a glacier about long located in Mendenhall Valley, about from downtown Juneau in the southeast area of the U.S. state of Alaska....
in Juneau, AlaskaJuneau, AlaskaThe City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...
was named for him in (1892); - Cullum Geographical MedalCullum Geographical MedalThe Cullum Geographical Medal is one of the oldest awards of the American Geographical Society. It was established in the will of Major General George Washington Cullum , the vice president of the Society, and is awarded "to those who distinguish themselves by geographical discoveries or in the...
of the American Geographical SocietyAmerican Geographical SocietyThe American Geographical Society is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows from around the world...
(1901) - The Mendenhall Laboratory on the campus of The Ohio State University is also named in his honor.
Works about Mendenhall
- [Anon.] (2001) "Mendenhall, Thomas Corwin", Encyclopaedia Britannica, Deluxe CDROM edition
- Carey, C. W. (1999) "Mendenhall, Thomas Corwin", American National BiographyAmerican National BiographyThe American National Biography is a 24 volume biographical encyclopedia set containing approximately 17,400 entries and 20 million words, first published in 1999 by Oxford University Press under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Societies. A 400-entry supplement appeared in 2002...
, Oxford University Press, 15: 297-298, ISBN 0-19-520635-5 - Hebra, A. & Hebra, A. J. (2003) Measure for Measure: The Story of Imperial, Metric, and Other Units ISBN 0-8018-7072-0
- Mendenhall, T. C. (Jr.) (1989) American Scientist in Early Meiji Japan: The Autobiographical Notes of Thomas C. Mendenhall, ISBN 0-8248-1177-1 (subscription required)