Denison Olmsted (June 18, 1791May 13, 1859) was an American
physicist
A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe.
Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...
and
astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...
.
Professor Olmsted is credited with giving birth to
meteor
A meteoroid () is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space.
Meteoroids are defined as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to a meter wide. Objects smaller than this are classified as mi ...
science after the 1833
Leonid meteor shower
The Leonids ( ) are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Tempel–Tuttle, which are also known for their spectacular meteor storms that occur about every 33 years. The Leonids get their name from the location of their radiant ...
over North America spurred him to study this phenomenon.
Biography
Olmsted was born June 18, 1791, in
East Hartford, Connecticut
East Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 51,045 at the 2020 census. The town is located on the east bank of the Connecticut River, directly across from Hartford, Connecticut. It is home to aerosp ...
. In 1813, he graduated from
Yale College
Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...
, where he acted as college tutor from 1815 to 1817. In the latter year, he was appointed to the
chair of
chemistry,
mineralogy and
geology
Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...
in the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
.
A gold rush in North Carolina spurred the state legislature to sponsor the first state
geological survey
A geological survey is the systematic investigation of the geology beneath a given piece of ground for the purpose of creating a geological map or model. Geological surveying employs techniques from the traditional walk-over survey, studying outc ...
that was ever attempted in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. Olmsted traveled by horseback across the state collecting minerals and fossils, publishing his geological map in 1825.
In 1825, he became professor of
mathematics and
natural philosophy
Natural philosophy or philosophy of nature (from Latin ''philosophia naturalis'') is the philosophical study of physics, that is, nature and the physical universe. It was dominant before the development of modern science.
From the ancient wo ...
at Yale.
He published an elaborate theory of hail-stones in 1830, which caused much discussion, but finally received the general approbation of
meteorologist
A meteorologist is a scientist who studies and works in the field of meteorology aiming to understand or predict Earth's atmospheric phenomena including the weather. Those who study meteorological phenomena are meteorologists in research, while t ...
s. The shower of shooting stars that fell in November 1833 attracted his attention, and he studied their history and behavior until he was able satisfactorily to demonstrate their cosmical origin. Olmsted appears to have been the earliest person to use the word
radiator to mean a heating appliance in a patent of 1834 when he wrote that it was ''a peculiar kind of apparatus, which I call a radiator''. Olmsted and his associate,
Elias Loomis
Elias Loomis (August 7, 1811 – August 15, 1889) was an American mathematician. He served as a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at Western Reserve College (now Case Western Reserve University), the University of the City of New Yo ...
, were in 1835 the first American investigators to observe the
Halley's Comet
Halley's Comet or Comet Halley, officially designated 1P/Halley, is a short-period comet visible from Earth every 75–79 years. Halley is the only known short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and thus the on ...
.
In 1836, his Yale professorship was divided, and he retained that of
natural philosophy
Natural philosophy or philosophy of nature (from Latin ''philosophia naturalis'') is the philosophical study of physics, that is, nature and the physical universe. It was dominant before the development of modern science.
From the ancient wo ...
,
the department of mathematics being assigned to Anthony D. Stanley.
For several years, he carried on a series of observations of the
aurora borealis
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
.
Olmsted possessed considerable mechanical talent, which he used in promoting and perfecting the inventions of others, but while he himself frequently invented articles of convenience and comfort, such as the Olmsted stove, he seldom secured his rights by patents.
Olmsted died in
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...
, on May 13, 1859.
Selected writings
Olmsted wrote textbooks on Natural Philosophy and Astronomy, and these sold well. However, he is chiefly known to the scientific world for his observations on
hail (1830),
meteor
A meteoroid () is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space.
Meteoroids are defined as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to a meter wide. Objects smaller than this are classified as mi ...
s and the
aurora borealis
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
(see ''Smithsonian Contributions'', vol. viii, Washington, 1850).
Others:
* ''Student's Commonplace Books'' (New Haven, 1828)
* ''Introduction to Natural Philosophy'' (2 vols., New York, 1831)
* ''Compendium of Natural Philosophy'' (1832)
* ''Observations on the Meteors of November 13th, 1833'' (1834)
* ''Introduction to Astronomy'' (1839)
* ''Compendium of Astronomy'' (1841)
* ''Letters on Astronomy, Addressed to a Lady'' (1841)
* ''Life and Writings of
Ebenezer Porter Mason'' (New York, 1842)
* ''Rudiments of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy'' (Cincinnati, 1844)
Olmsted wrote some biographical sketches, one of which became among the most influential writings on
Eli Whitney. The ''
Memoir of Eli Whitney, Esq.'' was first published in the
American Journal of Science in 1832, seven years after Whitney’s death. Details of early biographies differed, with one of the most important differences being the state of practice of cotton ginning at the time of
Whitney’s invention. Olmsted said workers used their fingers to separate seed from cotton, whereas others said
roller gins were widely used. Thus, Olmsted said Whitney invented the cotton gin, whereas others credited him with the more modest accomplishment of inventing a new and more efficient kind of gin. Most later biographers, especially after the Civil War, adopted Olmsted’s version. Meanwhile, authors writing more broadly about the southern United States elaborated on Olmsted's ideas, treating the cotton gin as a symbol of nineteenth century prosperity or of the evils of slavery.
Further reading
*
*
Family
His son
Francis Allyn Olmsted wrote a book on
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
. His son Alexander Fisher Olmsted (1822–1853) was a professor of
chemistry at the
University of North Carolina
The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...
.
Notes
References
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Olmsted, Denison
1791 births
1859 deaths
American astronomers
Burials at Grove Street Cemetery
Yale College alumni
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill faculty
Yale University faculty
People from East Hartford, Connecticut