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Sarah Frances Whiting
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'''Sarah Frances Whiting''' (
August 23,
1847 –
September 12,
1927),
United States US physicist and
astronomer, was the instructor to several astronomers, including
Annie Jump Cannon.
Whiting graduated from
Ingham College in
1865. She visited
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT as its first female physics student. While there, she observed their undergraduate
physics labs.
Whiting joined
Wellesley College in
1876 as its first professor of physics. She established its physics department and the undergraduate physics labs at Wellesley, the second of its kind to be started in the country. In her teaching, she introduced the
laboratory method.
While at MIT, Whiting met a physics professor named
Edward Pickering. In
1877, Pickering left MIT to become the director of the
Harvard College Observatory. He invited Whiting to observe some of the new techniques being applied to astronomy, such as
spectroscopy. In
1880, Whiting started teaching a course on Practical Astronomy at Wellesley.
In
1900, Whiting helped to establish the Wellesley College observatory,
Whitin Observatory, of which she became the first director.
In
1905, Whiting received an honorary doctorate from
Tufts College. She was also known for supporting
prohibition.
Whiting retired from Wellesley in
1916 and was a Professor Emerita until her death in 1927.
Category:1847 births Whiting, Sarah Frances
Category:1927 deaths Whiting, Sarah Frances
Category:American astronomers Whiting, Sarah Frances
Category:American physicists Whiting, Sarah Frances
