Mary Helen Wright Greuter (December 20, 1914 – October 23, 1997) was an American astronomer and historian, who wrote and edited on the history and methodology of sciences, including anthropology, archeology, mathematics, and physics.

Early years

Born in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, she was the daughter of the geophysicist

Frederick Eugene Wright Frederick Eugene Wright (October 16, 1877 – August 25, 1953) was an American optical scientist and geophysicist. He was the second president of the Optical Society of America from 1918-1919. Biography He was born in Marquette, Michigan, and hi ...

and Kathleen Ethel Finley. She was known professionally by her family name of Wright. Her siblings included, William F. Wright and Kenneth A. Wright. Wright was educated at

Madeira School The Madeira School (simply referred to as Madeira School or Madeira) is an elite, private, day and boarding college-preparatory school for girls in McLean, Virginia, United States. It was established in 1906 by Lucy Madeira Wing. History Ori ...

. She was a Bennett Junior College graduate (1934), and

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...

graduate (Bachelor's, 1937; Master's 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 ...

, 1939).

Career

Through her father, who led the Carnegie Institution for Science Moon Project at the Mount Wilson Observatory, Wright became acquainted with people at Mt. Wilson, and got a job as an assistant (1937) doing research on the history of

telescope A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to observe ...

s; and in the same year, worked as an assistant at the

Vassar College Observatory The Vassar College Observatory is an astronomical observatory of the private Vassar College, located near the eastern edge of the Poughkeepsie, New York college's campus. Finished in 1865, it was the first building on the college's campus, older ...

. She also worked as a Junior Assistant at the

U.S. 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 Washington, D.C. (1942–43); and was associated with

Palomar Observatory Palomar Observatory is an astronomical research observatory in San Diego County, California, United States, in the Palomar Mountain Range. It is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Research time at the observat ...

. In 1943, she became a freelance author and editor. Her best known works include, ''Explorer of the Universe: A Biography of George Ellery Hale'' (1966) and ''Sweeper of the Sky: The Life of Maria Mitchell'' (1949). Wright was a member of the

American Astronomical Society The American Astronomical Society (AAS, sometimes spoken as "double-A-S") is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC. The primary objective of the AAS is to promote the adv ...

, the History of Science Society, and 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 ...

. She was elected as a Fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

in 1961.

Personal life

She married and later divorced the artist John Franklin Hawkins, and then married Rene Greuter in 1967, but remained childless. She summered on Sagastaweka Island, and maintained homes in Washington,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, and

Nantucket Nantucket () is an island about south from Cape Cod. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a combined county/town government that is part of the U.S. state of Massachuse ...

. Wright's other interests included

stone carving Stone carving is an activity where pieces of rough natural stone are shaped by the controlled removal of stone. Owing to the permanence of the material, stone work has survived which was created during our prehistory or past time. Work carried ...

. Wright died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

in 1997 in Washington, D.C.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright Greuter, Mary Helen 1914 births 1997 deaths American women astronomers Writers from Washington, D.C. American women historians 20th-century American historians Madeira School alumni 20th-century American women writers Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science