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Class of 1870

Vol. III
p144 2314

(Born Mo.)

Edward S. Holden

(Ap'd Mo.)

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, Sep. 1, 1866, to June 15, 1870, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Second Lieut., 4th Artillery, June 15, 1870.

Served: in garrison at Ft. Johnston, N. C., Oct. 1, 1870, to Aug., 1871; and at the Military Academy as Asst. Professor of Natural and Experimental

(Transferred to Corps of Engineers, June 10, 1872)

Philosophy, Aug. 31, 1871, to Aug. 28, 1872, — and Asst. Instructor of Practical Military Engineering, Aug. 28, 1862, to March 28, 1873.

Resigned, Mar. 28, 1873.

Naval History. — Served: as Astronomer at the Naval Observatory,

(Professor of Mathematics, U. S. Navy, Mar. 21, 1873)

Washington, D. C., Mar. 21, 1873, to June, 1881, except while detached to England in 1876 to examine the Loan Collection of Scientific Instruments of South Kensington Museum, and to Central City, Col., to observe the Transit of Mercury during Total Eclipse of the Sun, July 29, 1878.

Resigned, June, 1881.

Civil History. — Director of the Washburn Observatory and Professor of Astronomy in the University of Wisconsin, Feb., 1881, to Jan. 1, 1886. In charge of the U. S. Eclipse Expedition to the South Pacific Ocean, Mar. to June, 1883. Member of the Board of Visitors to the U. S. Military Academy, 1885. President of the University of California, Oct., 1885, to Mar. 23, 1888. Director of the Lick Observatory of the University of California, since Apr., 1888. Author of "The Bastion System of Fortifications, etc.," 1872; of "Index-Catalogue of Books and Memoirs relating to Nebulae and Clusters," 1877 (No. 311 Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections); of "Astronomy for Students" (jointly with Professor Newcomb), 1879; of "Sir William Herschel, — his Life and Works," 1881; of Publications of the Washburn Observatory (Vols. I, II, III, and IV), 1881‑86, and of the "Lick Observatory" (Vol. I), 1887; of "Hand Book of the Lick Observatory," 1888; and of various Astronomical Papers to Scientific Journals.a Member of the Astronomische Gesellschaft, Leipzig, Germany; of American Association for the Advancement of Sciences; of the National Academy of Sciences; of many Scientific Societies; and Foreign Associate of the Royal Astronomical Society of London, Eng. Degree of A. M. conferred by the University of St. Louis, Mo., 1878; and of LL. D. by the University of Wisconsin, 1886, and by Columbia College, New York, 1887.

Vol. IV
p194 [Supplement, Vol. IV: 1890‑1900]

Civil History. — Director of the Lick Observatory, Mount Hamilton, Cal., until Jan., 1898, when he resigned and removed to New York City. — Member of Board of Visitors to the U. S. Naval Academy, 1896; Knight Commander of the Ernestine Order of Saxony, 1894; decoration of the Order of Bolivar of Venezuela, 1896; Knight of the royal Order of the Danebrog of Denmark, 1896; Member of the American Philosophical Society, 1897; honorary degree of Sc. D. conferred by the University of the Pacific, 1897; tendered his services to War Department at the outbreak of the Spanish-American war; author of many scientific and other writings, 1890‑99, among them "The United States Military Academy at West Point," in Report of Bureau of Education for 1891‑92. — Editor of Supplement to General Cullum's Register of Graduates, U. S. M. A., 1890‑1900. — Address, Century Club, New York City.

Vol. V
p165 [Supplement, Vol. V: 1900‑1910]

Civil History. — Assistant Librarian U. S. M. A., 1901; Librarian 1902 to –––––.

Vol. VI
p145 [Supplement, Vol. VI: 1910‑1920]

(Edward Singleton Holden, Born Nov. 5, 1846.)

Military History. —

Second Lieut., 4th Artillery, June 15, 1870.

Transferred to Corps of Engineers, June 10, 1872.

Resigned, March 28, 1873.

Naval History. —

Professor of Mathematics, U. S. Navy, March 21, 1873.

Resigned, June, 1881.

p146 Civil History. — Director of the Washburn Observatory and Professor of Astronomy in the University of Wisconsin, February, 1881, to Jan. 1, 1886 (in charge of the U. S. Eclipse Expedition to the South Pacific Ocean, March to June, 1883); President of the University of California, October, 1885, to March 23, 1888; Director of the Lick Observatory of the University of California, April, 1888, to January, 1898; Assistant Librarian, U. S. Military Academy, 1901; Librarian, 1902 to March 16, 1914.

Author of The Bastion System of Fortifications, 1872; Index-Catalogue of Books and Memoirs relating to Nebulae and Clusters, 1877; Astronomy for Students (jointly with Professor Newcomb), 1879; Sir William Herschel — His Life and Works, 1881; Publications of the Washburn Observatory, Vols. I‑IV, 1881‑86; The Lick Observatory, 1887; Handbook of the Lick Observatory, 1888; The United States Military Academy at West Point, 1891‑92; editor of 4th Volume of General Cullum's Biographical Register of the Graduates of the U. S. Military Academy; member of many scientific societies; Degree of A. M. by University of St. Louis, 1878; of LL. D. by University of Wisconsin, 1886, and by Columbia College of New York, 1887; of Sc. D. by University of the Pacific, 1897; Knight Commander of the Ernestine Order of Saxony, 1894; Decoration of the Order of Bolivar of Venezuela, 1896; Knight of the Royal Order of the Danebrog of Denmark, 1896.

Died, March 16, 1914, at West Point, N. Y.: Aged 67.

Portrait and obituary in Annual Report, Association of Graduates, for 1915.

Buried, West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY.

Thayer's Note:

a Among his many publications, "The Beginnings of American Astronomy", Science, 5:929‑935 (1897), in part of which he details, as much as possible in a relatively brief article, the contributions of West Pointers to astronomy.

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