George Cary Comstock
(February 12, 1855–May 11, 1934) was an American
astronomer and educator.
He was
born in Madison,
Wisconsin
, the eldest child of Charles Henry Comstock and
Mercy Bronson. In 1877 he was awarded a Ph.D. from the
University of
Michigan
, after studying mathematics and astronomy.
For a couple of years he worked for the U.S.
Lake Survey and then a
Mississippi River improvement
project, before joining Washburn Observatory
as the assistant director in 1879. As career
insurance, during his free moments he studied law and was admitted
to the Wisconsin bar in 1883 after graduating from Wisconsin law
school. However, he would never practice the legal
profession.
He was
appointed professor at Ohio State University
in 1887, where he taught mathematics and astronomy,
and he took over directorship of the Washburn Observatory.
In 1894 he was married to Esther Cecile Everett in 1894, and the
couple had a daughter, George Carey.
He helped organize the
American Astronomical
Society in 1897, serving first as secretary and later as vice
president. he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences
in 1899. In 1904 he was appointed first chair of the
University of
Wisconsin
graduate school, later becoming Dean. He
held this position until 1920, then retired in 1922 as Professor
Emeritus of Astronomy. During his retirement, in 1897 he became
president of the American Astronomical Society.
During his career he wrote several textbooks and published articles
in scientific journals.
The crater Comstock
on the
far side of the Moon is named
after him. His brother Louis became Chairman of the Board at
New York Title Insurance Company.
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