James Gilbert Baker (November 11, 1914 – June 29, 2005) was an American
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, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...
and designer of
optics
Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behaviour and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behaviour of visible, ultraviole ...
systems.
Biography
He was born in
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
to Jesse B. Baker and Hattie M. Stallard, the fourth child of that couple. He attended
Louisville duPont Manual High School then majored in mathematics at the
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...
. During his time at the university, he became interested in
astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...
and grinding his own mirrors. In 1931 he helped to form the
Louisville Astronomical Society. He graduated with a
B.A.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in 1935.
He met his future wife, Elizabeth Katherine Breitenstein, while at the university.
Pursuing his interest in astronomy, he studied at the
Harvard College Observatory
The Harvard College Observatory (HCO) is an institution managing a complex of buildings and multiple instruments used for astronomical research by the Harvard University Department of Astronomy. It is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United St ...
. He earned his
M.A.
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in 1936, gained an appointment as a Junior Fellow of the Harvard Society from 1937 until 1943. It was in 1940 that he developed the Baker-Schmidt telescope, a modification of the
schmidt camera
A Schmidt camera, also referred to as the Schmidt telescope, is a catadioptric astrophotographic telescope designed to provide wide fields of view with limited aberrations. The design was invented by Bernhard Schmidt in 1930.
Some notable exa ...
. In 1942 he was awarded his PhD in
astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...
and
astrophysics
Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the h ...
from
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
.
After the start of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, he was recruited to be a civilian optical designer for the Army's newly formed aerial reconnaissance branch under Colonel
George William Goddard
George William Goddard (June 15, 1889 – September 20, 1987) was a United States Air Force brigadier general and a pioneer in aerial photography.
Early life and education
George William Goddard was born in London, England, in 1889. He moved t ...
. He would design wide-angle camera systems and test them in unpressurized compartments during test flights. He also became a consultant for the
Perkin Elmer Corporation
PerkinElmer, Inc., previously styled Perkin-Elmer, is an American global corporation focused in the business areas of diagnostics, life science research, food, environmental and industrial testing. Its capabilities include detection, imaging, inf ...
. Following the war he then became an advisor for the Air Force Photographic Laboratory.
Living in
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...
, from 1946 until 1949 he was an associate professor at Harvard University, as well as continuing his research into optics he had pursued during the war. In 1948 he moved to
Orinda, California
Orinda is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city's population as of the 2020 census is estimated at 19,514 residents.
History
Orinda is located within four Mexican land grants: Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados ...
to join the
Lick Observatory
The Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the University of California. It is on the summit of Mount Hamilton, in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose, California, United States. The observatory is managed by th ...
as a research associate. He returned to Harvard in 1950.
Prior to the launch of the
Sputnik I
Sputnik 1 (; see § Etymology) was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space program. It sent a radio signal back to Earth for t ...
spacecraft, Baker collaborated with
Joseph Nunn
Joseph Nunn (1905–1968) was an American engineer.
In 1956 he worked in collaboration with Dr. James G. Baker to design and manufacture a series of satellite tracking cameras. These were called Baker-Nunn cameras after their designers, a ...
to build a series of 12 satellite tracking cameras that would be called the
Baker-Nunn camera
A Schmidt camera, also referred to as the Schmidt telescope, is a catadioptric astrophotographic telescope designed to provide wide fields of view with limited aberrations. The design was invented by Bernhard Schmidt in 1930.
Some notable ex ...
. Dr. Baker designed the optical system for the cameras, which were fabricated by Perkin-Elmer Corporation.
He and
Edwin Land
Edwin Herbert Land, ForMemRS, FRPS, Hon.MRI (May 7, 1909 – March 1, 1991) was an Russian-American scientist and inventor, best known as the co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation. He invented inexpensive filters for polarizing light, a ...
were instrumental in persuading President
Dwight Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
to have the
U-2 spy plane built. Baker also designed the lenses and most of the cameras used on the U-2 spy plane and later the
SR-71 Blackbird
The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. It was operated by the United States Air Force ...
. In addition, he designed the lenses and cameras used in the
Samos satellite program, and a modified version of these optics were later used in the lunar mapping programs.
During the 1960s he designed the folding optics for the
Polaroid SX-70
The SX-70 is a folding single lens reflex Land camera which was produced by the Polaroid Corporation from 1972 to 1981.
History
In 1948, Polaroid introduced its first consumer camera. The Land Camera Model 95 was the first camera to use ins ...
Land Camera
The Land Camera is a model of self-developing film camera manufactured by Polaroid between 1948 and 1983. It is named after their inventor, the American scientist Edwin Land, who developed a process for self-developing photography between 1943 ...
. He also designed the Baker Super-Schmidt camera, which was used to track
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 micr ...
s, and the
Paul-Baker telescope. In 1960 he became president of the
Optical Society of America
Optica (formerly known as The Optical Society (OSA) and before that as the Optical Society of America) is a professional society of individuals and companies with an interest in optics and photonics. It publishes journals and organizes conference ...
.
Baker was the author of many technical papers and he held more than 50 U.S. patents. He was the first person to use a computer for the design of optics.
He died in
Bedford, New Hampshire
Bedford is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 23,322, reflecting a growth of 10% from 2010. Bedford is a suburb of Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city.
History
In 1733, the P ...
at the age of 90, and was survived by his wife Elizabeth, and his three sons, a daughter, and five grandchildren. (His children have also pursued technical careers).
Bibliography
* J.G. Baker and George Z. Dimitroff, "Telescopes and Accessories", 1945, Blakiston.
* James G. Baker, "Optical Systems for Astronomical Photography", in ''
Amateur Telescope Making
''Amateur Telescope Making'' (''ATM'') is a series of three books edited by Albert G. Ingalls between 1926 and 1953 while he was an associate editor at ''Scientific American''. The books cover various aspects of telescope construction and obser ...
'', Book Three.
A. G. Ingalls, Editor,
Scientific American
''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it i ...
Press, 1953.
* J.G. Baker, "The Catadioptric Refractor," Astronomical Journal 59, 1954.
* J. G. Baker, "Planetary Telescopes", Applied Optics 2.2, 1963.
* J. G. Baker, "On Improving the Effectiveness of Large Telescopes", IEEE Transactions, vol. AES-5, no. 2, March 1969.
Awards and honors
*
Medal for Merit
The Medal for Merit was, during the period it was awarded, the highest civilian decoration of the United States. It was awarded by the President of the United States to civilians who "distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious conduct i ...
from the US President.
* Fellow of the
National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...
, 1946.
*
Elliott Cresson Medal
The Elliott Cresson Medal, also known as the Elliott Cresson Gold Medal, was the highest award given by the Franklin Institute. The award was established by Elliott Cresson, life member of the Franklin Institute, with $1,000 granted in 1848. The ...
, 1962
Frederic Ives Medal 1965.
* 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 ...
, 1970
Joseph Fraunhofer Award 1991.
* Recognition as
Pioneer of National Reconnaissance 2000.
* Fellow of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...
.
*
Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
br>
Space and Missile Pioneers Award inducted into Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame.
See also
*
List of astronomical instrument makers
The following is a list of astronomical instrument makers, along with lifespan and country of work, if available.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V ...
*
Optical Society of America#Past Presidents of the OSA
References
External links
Oral History interview transcript for James Gilbert Baker on 9 June 1980, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library and ArchivesSky & Telescope obituaryLouisville Astronomical Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, James Gilbert
1914 births
2005 deaths
20th-century American astronomers
Optical engineers
Medal for Merit recipients
University of Louisville alumni
Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni
Presidents of Optica (society)
People from Louisville, Kentucky
Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
United States Army civilians
DuPont Manual High School alumni
Harvard College Observatory people
Harvard Fellows
Members of the American Philosophical Society