Ezra Otis Kendall (1818–1899) was an American professor, astronomer and mathematician. He was known for his work in uranography. Kendall was born on May 17, 1818, in

Wilmington, Massachusetts Wilmington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Its population was 23,349 at the 2020 United States census. History Wilmington was first settled in 1665 and was officially incorporated in 1730, from parts of Woburn, Readi ...

to parents Ezra Kendall and Susanna Cook Walker. His mother was a descendant of ''

Mayflower ''Mayflower'' was an English ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After a grueling 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, r ...

'' passengers

Francis Cooke Francis Cooke (c.1583 – April 7, 1663) was a Leiden Separatist, who went to America in 1620 on the Pilgrim ship ''Mayflower'', which arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts. He was a founding member of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and a signer of ...

and Stephen Hopkins. In 1835, he moved to

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

to study mathematics with

Sears Cook Walker Sears Cook Walker (March 28, 1805 – January 30, 1853) was an American astronomer. Born at Wilmington, Massachusetts son of Benjamin Walker and Susanna Cook, he graduated from Harvard University in 1825, he was a teacher till 1835, was an ...

, his half-brother. In 1838, he became professor of mathematics and astronomy at Philadelphia's Central High School and director of the observatory. In 1842, he was elected a member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

and later served as a vice-president. In 1855, he became professor of mathematics and astronomy at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

, and in 1883 became vice-provost and dean of the college faculty. He received a Doctor of Laws,

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

, honorary degree from the university in 1888 for his scientific work. He died on January 5, 1899, in Philadelphia and is buried in the Saint Luke's Episcopal Churchyard.

Works

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kendall, Ezra Otis 1818 births 1899 deaths People from Wilmington, Massachusetts University of Pennsylvania faculty Mathematicians at the University of Pennsylvania American astronomers 19th-century American mathematicians