Stephen Alexander (September 1, 1806 – June 25, 1883) was a noted 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, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...

and educator.

Early years

He was born in

Schenectady, New York Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...

on September 1, 1806. He was the brother-in-law of Joseph Henry, the first secretary of the Smithsonian, and worked closely with him. His education was obtained at

Union College Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...

, were graduated in 1824, and at

Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of t ...

, were graduated in 1832.

Career

He became a tutor in mathematics at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

in 1832; he would later become professor of astronomy and mathematics and advocate for the construction of Princeton's first observatory. Alexander relied on the assistance of a free African American man named Alfred Scudder, who worked for him at Princeton during the 1850s. Because of his role as Alexander's assistant on campus, Scudder received the nickname "Assistant Professor of Natural Philosophy" from students. Alexander 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 ...

in 1839 and an Associate 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, a ...

in 1850. In 1860, he was the head of an expedition to the coast of

Labrador , nickname = "The Big Land" , etymology = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Canada , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 ...

to observe the solar eclipse which occurred July 18 of that year, and later to observe the one of 1869. He was one of the original members of the National Academy of Sciences in 1862, and a member of the

, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He also served as the president of this last organization in 1859. His principal writings are "Physical Phenomena attendant upon Solar Eclipses", read before the American Philosophical Society in 1848; a paper on the "Fundamental Principles of Mathematics," read before the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1848; another on the "Origin of the Forms and the Present Condition of some of the Clusters of Stars and several of the Nebulae", read before the American Association in 1850; others on the "Form and Equatorial Diameter of the Asteroid Planets" and "Harmonies in the Arrangement of the Solar System which seem to be Confirmatory of the Nebular Hypothesis of Laplace", presented to the National Academy of Science; and a "Statement and Exposition of Certain Harmonies of the Solar System", which was published by the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

in 1875.

Works

Among many noteworthy astronomical papers he published: * ''Fundamental Principles of Mathematics'' * ''Statement and Exposition of Certain Harmonies of the Solar System''

References

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * **

External links

National Academy of Sciences Biographical Memoir
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Stephen (astronomer) 1806 births 1883 deaths American astronomers Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Scientists from Schenectady, New York Princeton University faculty Union College (New York) alumni Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Smithsonian Institution people Members of the American Philosophical Society