Jump to content

Phyllis Hayford Hutchings

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Phyllis Hayford Hutchings
A white woman with dark hair
Phyllis Hayford Hutchings, from the 1936 yearbook of Rollins College
BornMay 18, 1904
Washington, D.C., U.S.
DiedJuly 7, 1965
Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.
Occupation(s)Astronomer, engineer, college professor

Phyllis Hayford Hutchings (May 18, 1904 – July 7, 1965)[1] was an American astronomer, engineer, and college professor. She taught astronomy at Rollins College in Florida, and at Whitman College in Washington.

Early life and education

[edit]

Hayford was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of John Fillmore Hayford and Lucy Dalzell Stone Hayford. Her father was director of the College of Engineering at Northwestern University.[2] She earned a degree in civil engineering from Northwestern University in 1926, and earned a Ph.D. in astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1932.[3] Her dissertation was titled "The Galactic Rotation Effect in Open Clusters".[4]

Career

[edit]

Hayford worked at Lick Observatory from 1926 to 1937, in various positions, including assistant to Donald Howard Menzel,[5] computer[6] and research fellow.[7][8] Her work their often involved calculating the orbits of comets.[9] She taught astronomy at Rollins College in Florida from 1935[7] to 1943, and at Whitman College in Washington from 1947 until her death in 1965.[10] She also spoke to school and community groups about astronomy topics.[11][12]

Publications

[edit]
  • "A Brilliant Meteor" (1927)[13]
  • "Elements and ephemeris of Minor Planet 1929 PA" (1930, with Charlotte E. Moore)[14]
  • "Elements and ephemeris of Comet D 1930 (Schwassmann-Wachmann)" (1930, with Claude M. Anderson Jr.)[15]
  • "Observations of Comet B 1929 (Neujmin) and of minor planets" (1930, with C. J. Krieger, N. T. Bobrovnikoff, F. L. Whipple, and Charlotte E. Moore)[16]
  • "A study of galactic rotation with special reference to the radial velocities of the galactic star clusters" (1932)[17]
  • "Occultation of an 8.9 Magnitude Star by Jupiter" (1933)[18]
  • "Observations of Eros made at the Lick Observatory during the opposition of 1931, with a preliminary determination of the solar parallax" (1937, with R. J. Trumpler, F. J. Neubauer, C. E. Smith, and K. P. Kaster)

Personal life

[edit]

Hayford married mathematician William Lawrence Hutchings in 1934; they had a daughter, Lucy, born in 1938. Phyllis Hutchings died in 1965, at the age of 61, while she was teaching a summer course in Lawrence, Kansas.[1][19][20]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Memorial Rites held for Dr. Phyllis Hutchings". Lehi Free Press. October 21, 1965. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Obituary: John Fillmore Hayford". Geographical Review. 15 (3): 500–500. 1925. ISSN 0016-7428.
  3. ^ "Celestial Observers: First Sixteen Berkeley Women Doctoral Graduates in Astronomy 1913-1952". 150 Years of Women at Berkeley. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
  4. ^ Hayford, Phyllis (1932-01-01). The Galactic Rotation Effect in Open Clusters (Thesis).
  5. ^ Aitken, R. G. (1926). "Personal Notes". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 38 (225): 334–335. ISSN 0004-6280.
  6. ^ Aitken, R. G. "Personal Notes-Lick Observatory" Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 45 (1933): 262.
  7. ^ a b "Californians Join Faculty". The Orlando Sentinel. June 5, 1935. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Fellows and Assistants at the Lick Observatory for the Year 1931-1932" Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 43(1931): 223.
  9. ^ "New Comet to Make Closest Approach to Earth in June". Sotoyome Scimitar. May 29, 1930. p. 5 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  10. ^ "Phyllis Hayford (Hutchings)". 150 Years of Women at Berkeley Astronomy: Early Stars. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
  11. ^ "Topics". Orlando Evening Star. May 18, 1937. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "AAUW to Hear Astronomy Prof". Tri-City Herald. April 20, 1959. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Hayford, Phyllis. "A Brilliant Meteor" Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 39 (1927): 252.
  14. ^ Moore, Charles E., and Phyllis Hayford. "Elements and ephemeris of Minor Planet 1929 PA" Lick Observatory Bulletin, vol. 15, pp. 22-23 15 (1930): 22-23.
  15. ^ Hayford, Phyllis, and Claude Matthews Anderson. "Elements and ephemeris of Comet D 1930 (Schwassmann-Wachmann)" Lick Observatory Bulletin 15 (1930): 43-45.
  16. ^ Krieger, Charles John, Nicholas Theodore Bobrovnikoff, Fred Lawrence Whipple, Charlotte Emma Moore, and Phyllis Hayford. "Observations of Comet B 1929 (Neujmin) and of minor planets" Lick Observatory Bulletin 15 (1930): 20-23.
  17. ^ Hayford, Phyllis. "A study of galactic rotation with special reference to the radial velocities of the galactic star clusters" Lick Observatory Bulletin 16 (1932): 53-75.
  18. ^ Hayford, Phyllis. "Occultation of an 8.9 Magnitude Star by Jupiter" Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 45 (1933): 151.
  19. ^ "Announcements". Science. 149 (3683): 526–570. 1965-07-30. doi:10.1126/science.149.3683.526. ISSN 0036-8075.
  20. ^ "Mrs. Hutchings Dies of Attack". Spokane Chronicle. July 8, 1965. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.