Charles Greeley Abbot

Charles Greeley Abbot
Dr. Charles Greeley Abbot
5th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
In office
1928–1944
Preceded byCharles Doolittle Walcott
Succeeded byAlexander Wetmore
Personal details
Born(1872-05-31)May 31, 1872
Wilton, New Hampshire[1]
DiedDecember 17, 1973(1973-12-17) (aged 101)
Riverdale Park, Maryland, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Spouse(s)Lillian Elvira Moore Abbot (m. 1897–1944; death),[2]
Virginia Andes Johnson (m. 1954–1973; death)
Alma materPhillips Academy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS)
Known forNoted astrophysicist who was awarded the Henry Draper Medal (1910) and the Rumford Prize (1915)

Charles Greeley Abbot (May 31, 1872 – December 17, 1973) was an American astrophysicist and the fifth secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, serving from 1928 until 1944.[1][3][4] Abbot went from being director of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, to becoming Assistant Secretary, and then Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution over the course of his career. As an astrophysicist, he researched the solar constant, research that led him to invent the solar cooker, solar boiler, solar still, and other patented solar energy inventions.

  1. ^ a b "Charles Greely Abbott, 1872-1973". Smithsonian History. Smithsonian Institution Archives. 2011-04-14. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  2. ^ Biographical Memoirs: Volume 73. National Academy of Sciences. National Academies Press. 1998-07-01. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-309-06031-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference EB was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Roberts, Walter Orr (May 1974). "Charles Greeley Abbot". Physics Today. 27 (5): 65–67. Bibcode:1974PhT....27e..65R. doi:10.1063/1.3128601. Archived from the original on 2013-09-27.