Guide to the Herman Stearns Davis Papers, 1893-1932 AIS.1964.23
Arrangement
Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Herman Stearns Davis Papers
Creator
Davis, Herman Stearns
Collection Number
AIS.1964.23
Extent
5.18 Linear Feet(8 boxes)
Date
1893-1932
Abstract
Herman Stearns Davis, an astronomer educated at Princeton and Columbia University, worked for Columbia University, the U.S Coast and Geodetic Survey, the International Latitude Observatory, the cities of Pittsburgh and New York, the Gulf Refining Company and the Carnegie Institution during his career. The collection contains personal correspondence, a manuscript, notebooks, and newspaper clippings pertaining to astronomy.
Language
English
.
Author
John Thompson. Revisions occurred to the finding aid as a part of the encoding process in December, 2001.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System Archives & Special Collections Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections Business Number: 412-648-3232 (Thomas) | 412-648-8190 (Hillman) Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Biography
Herman Stearns Davis, an astronomer, was born August 6, 1868, in Milford, DE. Davis graduated cum laude from Princeton University in 1892 and received his A.M degree (1894) and Ph.D.(1895) from Columbia University. From 1895-1899, Davis served as a professor of astronomy and geodessy at Columbia. In 1900 he became assistant at the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey and went on to serve as director of the International Latitude Observatory in Gaithersburg, MD until 1905. Davis then served as construction engineer and auditor for the cities of Pittsburgh and New York until 1910. From 1910 until 1920, he was the secretary to the President of Gulf Refining Co. in Pittsburgh and served as astronomer of the Carnegie Institution.
The majority of Davis' research was for the New Reduction of Piazzi's Star Catalog which he began in 1895. He also authored Glossary to Homer's Illiad in 1888, Parallax of Eta Cassiopeia in 1895, Catalogue of 62 Stars about Eta Cassiopeia in 1895, Computation Forms for the Use of Classes in Practical Astronomy in 1897, An Abbreviated Form of Least Square Solutions in 1898, Private Cipher-Book in 1911 and the Dictionary of Telegraphic Code-Words in 1912. Davis died in Pittsburgh on May 23, 1933.
Scope and Content Notes
This collection contains personal correspondence for the period 1894-1932. It also contains letterbooks from 1893-1904 and 1910, and a letterpressbook from 1895. Included are typed letters signed (T.L.S.) from Pierre du Pont, Sen. Mark Hannah, Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge, and Theodore Roosevelt. The collection contains a manuscript of Davis' article, "The Parallax of N. Cassiopeiae Deduced from the Rutherford Photographic Measures" (1895), five notebooks on "The New Reduction of Piazzi's Star Observations", a commonplace book, and newsclippings about astronomy from 1922-1930.
Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Acquisition Information
This collection was a gift of Nicholas E. Wagman in 1964.
Preferred Citation
Herman Stearns Davis Papers,1893-1932, AIS.1964.23, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Previous Citation
Herman Stearns Davis Papers,1893-1932, AIS.1964.23, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Davis, Herman Stearns, 1868-1933, Papers, 1893-1932, ais 64:23, Archives of Industrial Society
Processing Information
This collection was processed by John Thompson in March 1, 1990.
Copyright
Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Pittsburgh as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
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