Burnham, S. W. (Sherburne Wesley), 1838-1921
Biography
S. W. Burnham (1838-1921) was an astronomer.
S. W. Burnham was born Sherburne Wesley Burnham to Roswell O. and Marinda Foote Burnham in Thetford, Vermont on December 12, 1838. By 1866, he had moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he worked as a court reporter. He would continue to earn his living working in a court throughout his life, choosing to do his astronomical work in his off hours. Burnham became affiliated with various observatories, including the Dearborn Observatory, the Washburn Observatory at the University of Wisconsin, and the Lick Observatory. In 1897, he was appointed a professor of practical astronomy at the University of Chicago and began working at their new 40-in refractor telescope. His primary research concern was the discovery and cataloging of double stars--he discovered more than 1000 pairs throughout his career. Burnham never received any formal higher education, but he was awarded an honorary master of arts by Yale University in 1878 and an honorary doctorate by Northwestern University in 1915. In 1894, he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society. Burnham married Mary Cleland in 1868 and they would go on to have six children. He died March 11, 1921 in Chicago, Illinois.
Citation:
FamilySearch, via WWW, November 10, 2022 (born Sherburne Wesley Burnham; parents Roswell O. Burnham and Mary Foote Burnham; born December 12, 1838 in Thetford, Vermont; married Mary Cleland; had 6 six children; died Mary 11, 1921 in Chicago, Illinois). Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers, 2016: p. 343-346 (born Sherburne Wesley Burnham; parents Roswell O. Burnham and Mary Foote Burnham; born December 12, 1838 in Thetford, Vermont; moved to Chicago, Illinois by 1866; worked as a court reporter; earned his living working in courts throughout his life; primarily did astronomical work in off hours; worked at various observatories, including the Dearborn Observatory, the Washburn Observatory at the University of Wisconsin, and the Lick Observatory; appointed professor of practical astronomy at the University of Chicago in 1897 and began working at their new 40-in refractor telescope; research focused on the disovery and cataloging of double stars; discovered more than 1000 pairs of double stars throughout his career; never received any formal higher education; , but he was awarded an honorary master of arts by Yale University in 1878; awarded an honorary doctorate by Northwestern University in 1915; awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1894; married Mary Cleland in 1868; had six children; died March 11, 1921 in Chicago, Illinois). Royal Astronomical Society - Gold Medal - Past Members, via WWW, November 10, 2022 (awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1894).Found in 1 Collection or Record:
S. W. Burnham and Edward Emerson Barnard photographs
Contains glass plate photographs taken by S. W. Burnham and Edward Emerson Barnard. There are also some plates for which the photographer is not known. Some of the glass plates are photographic negatives and others are transparencies. The subjects include telescopes, observatories, the moon, stars, and some photographs of a volcanic eruption. Dated approximately 1880-1919.