Donald Harry Sadler (1908–1987) was an English astronomer and mathematician
who developed an international reputation for his work in preparing
astronomical and navigational almanacs. He worked as the
Superintendent of His Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office
from 1937 to 1971.
Early life
Donald Sadler was born in
Dewsbury,
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...
, on 22 August 1908. He
attended the local grammar school where he excelled in mathematics.
He studied mathematics at the
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...
and received a
first-class degree in 1929.
Sadler developed an interest in celestial mechanics during his studies
at Cambridge. He contributed to the work of the Computing Section of the
British Astronomical Association
The British Astronomical Association (BAA) was formed in 1890 as a national body to support the UK's amateur astronomers.
Throughout its history, the BAA has encouraged observers to make scientifically valuable observations, often in collaborati ...
.
The Nautical Almanac Office
Sadler began work as an assistant at
His Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office
His Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office (HMNAO), now part of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, was established in 1832 on the site of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich (ROG), where '' The Nautical Almanac'' had been published since 1767. HMNA ...
in 1930,
working under the direction of the
Superintendent
Superintendent may refer to:
*Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank
*Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator
*Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...
,
Leslie Comrie, when it was based at the
Royal Naval College
in
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
, London. Sadler was promoted to Deputy Superintendent of the Office
in 1933.
Comrie left the Nautical Almanac Office in 1936. A decision was taken to
move the Office to the
Royal Observatory, Greenwich, placing it under
the direction of the
Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the Astronomer Royal dating from 22 June 1675; the junior is the Astronomer Royal for Scotland dating from 1834.
The post ...
, and Sadler was appointed a
Chief Assistant at the observatory. Sadler was appointed Comrie's successor as
Superintendent of the Nautical Almanac Office in 1937. Sadler was the eighth
person to occupy this post since it was created in 1818.
Sadler took on the task of consolidating projects begun by Comrie,
publishing new tables for use in navigation.
The Second World War soon intervened and the Nautical Almanac Office
was moved temporarily out of London to the safer environment of
Bath.
The Office expanded in size temporarily to prepare data for military use.
Sadler was awarded the
OBE
in 1948 in recognition of this work.
Sadler supervised the relocation of the Nautical Almanac Office
in 1949 from
Bath to the new home of the
Royal Greenwich Observatory
at
Herstmonceux Castle
Herstmonceux Castle is a brick-built castle, dating from the 15th century, near Herstmonceux, East Sussex, England. It is one of the oldest significant brick buildings still standing in England. The castle was renowned for being one of the fir ...
in Sussex. He expanded the use of calculating
machines in astronomical calculations. He increased international
cooperation in preparing astronomical tables, particularly with the
United States Naval Observatory
United States Naval Observatory (USNO) is a scientific and military facility that produces geopositioning, navigation and timekeeping data for the United States Navy and the United States Department of Defense. Established in 1830 as the Depo ...
.
In 1954 Sadler married his colleague,
Flora Sadler (
née McBain), in what was described as 'the astronomical romance of the decade'.
Donald Sadler oversaw the transfer of the Nautical Almanac Office within
the Royal Greenwich Observatory from the control of the
Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
*Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
*The rank of admiral
*Admiralty law
Admiralty can also refer to:
Buildings
* Admiralty, Traf ...
to the new
Science Research Council
The Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) and its predecessor the Science Research Council (SRC) were the UK agencies in charge of publicly funded scientific and engineering research activities, including astronomy, biotechnology and bi ...
.
Scientific societies
Donald Sadler became a fellow of the
Royal Astronomical Society
(Whatever shines should be observed)
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in
1931, and served on the society's council. He acted as a secretary
between 1939 and 1947, contributing to sustaining the society's
work during the war. He served as the society's
president
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*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
from 1967
to 1969.
Sadler contributed to other scientific societies, including the
Royal Institute of Navigation, of which he was president from 1953 to 1955.
He served as general secretary of the
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreac ...
(1958–1964), then as vice-president, and president (1968–1970) of the Council of the Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical Services.
In 1981, Sadler became a founding member of the
World Cultural Council
The World Cultural Council is an international organization whose goals are to promote cultural values, goodwill and philanthropy among individuals. The organization founded in 1981 and based in Mexico, has held a yearly award ceremony since 198 ...
.
Later life
Donald Sadler retired as Superintendent of the Nautical Almanac Office in
1971. He continued working at the office for a further year, retiring in
February 1972. Sadler continued with his activities in the
Royal Institute of Navigation.
Donald Sadler died at
Bexhill-on-Sea,
East Sussex, on 24 October 1987.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sadler, Donald
1908 births
1987 deaths
20th-century British astronomers
20th-century English mathematicians
Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society
Founding members of the World Cultural Council
Presidents of the Royal Astronomical Society