Wertha Pendleton Cole
Encyclopedia
Wertha Pendleton Cole was an American educational administrator and astronomer.
. He was the founder of the General Church of the New Jerusalem
. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Columbia University
in 1914. As part of her graduate work at the University of Virginia
, in 1917-1918, she did parallax
observations for Prof. Samuel Alfred Mitchell
at the McCormick Observatory
. She was the Dean of Women at Bryn Athyn College
from 1943 to 1958 and also headed the astronomy department.
She organized the Bryn Athyn team for Operation Moonwatch
explaining: "I wanted to do something practical for the International Geophysical Year
. I felt this was the best way to help." She was a member of the Rittenhouse Astronomical Society from 1935 to 1959, serving as its secretary 1950-1951.
She died on January 1, 1959.
was a chemist, and one of her sons, Dandridge M. Cole
, was a space rocket designer.
Biography
She was born on January 18, 1891 to William Frederic PendletonWilliam Frederic Pendleton
William Frederic Pendleton was the first Executive Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, in Bryn Athyn, PA.-Biography:...
. He was the founder of the General Church of the New Jerusalem
General Church of the New Jerusalem
The General Church of the New Jerusalem is an international church based in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, and based on the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg...
. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1914. As part of her graduate work 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...
, in 1917-1918, she did parallax
Parallax
Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight, and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. The term is derived from the Greek παράλλαξις , meaning "alteration"...
observations for Prof. Samuel Alfred Mitchell
Samuel Alfred Mitchell
Samuel Alfred Mitchell was an astronomer who studied solar eclipses and set up a program to use photographic techniques to determine the distance to stars at McCormick Observatory, where he served as the director.-Early years:Mitchell was the son of John Cook and Sarah Chown Mitchell,...
at 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...
. She was the Dean of Women at Bryn Athyn College
Bryn Athyn College
Bryn Athyn College is a small, private Christian liberal arts college located northeast of Philadelphia in the borough of Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, a National Historic Landmark District...
from 1943 to 1958 and also headed the astronomy department.
She organized the Bryn Athyn team for Operation Moonwatch
Operation Moonwatch
Operation Moonwatch was an amateur science program formally initiated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in 1956 . The SAO organized Moonwatch as part of the International Geophysical Year which was probably the largest single scientific undertaking in history...
explaining: "I wanted to do something practical for the International Geophysical Year
International Geophysical Year
The International Geophysical Year was an international scientific project that lasted from July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958. It marked the end of a long period during the Cold War when scientific interchange between East and West was seriously interrupted...
. I felt this was the best way to help." She was a member of the Rittenhouse Astronomical Society from 1935 to 1959, serving as its secretary 1950-1951.
She died on January 1, 1959.
Family
Her husband Robert MacFarlan Cole IIIRobert MacFarlan Cole III
Robert MacFarlan Cole was an American chemical engineer, inventor, and author. He helped develop many chemicals, including freon and its use as a refrigerant and an aerosol repellent, a substance to counteract poisonous gas in World War I, synthetic rubber and pyrethrin insecticides in World War...
was a chemist, and one of her sons, Dandridge M. Cole
Dandridge M. Cole
Dandridge MacFarlan Cole was an American aerospace engineer, futurist, lecturer, and author.-Parents and education:Cole was born February 19, 1921 in Sandusky, Ohio to Robert MacFarlan Cole III and Wertha Pendleton Cole, the daughter of bishop William Frederic Pendleton.He attended the Academy of...
, was a space rocket designer.
Publications
- "Ancient Astronomy and Astrology," The Journal of Education, 1931, 27-35.
- "Swedenborg's Work on the Longitude," The New Philosophy, 1933, 169-178.