| Dinsmore Alter |
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Information AboutDinsmore Alter |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT DINSMORE ALTER | |
| 1888 births | |
| 1968 deaths | |
| people from washington | |
| american astronomers | |
| history of los angeles | |
| people with craters of the moon named after them | |
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He was born in Colfax, Washington , and attended college at Westminster College in Pennsylvania . After graduating in 1909 with a B.S. degree, he married Ada McClelland. The couple would have one child, Helen. Dinsmore performed his graduate studies at the University Of Pittsburgh , and earned a master's in astronomy with additional studies in the field of meteorology. In 1911 he became an instructor at the University Of Alabama , teaching physics and astronomy. The following year he became an assistant professor, then an adjunct professor in 1913 . In 1914 he moved to the University Of California In Berkeley , teaching astronomy while also studying for his doctorate. He gained his Ph.D. in astronomy in 1916 . By 1917 he became an assistant professor of astronomy at the University Of Kansas . However, when the United States entered World War I he took time off to serve as a Major in the United States Army . After returning home following the war, he rejoined the University of Kansas, and would remain at that institution for nearly 20 years. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1919 , then professor in 1924 . From 1925 until 1927 he served as the vice-president of the American Meteorological Society . He was then awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship scholarship and spent two years studying astronomy in Britain . In 1935 he took a leave from the University of Kansas and became director of the Griffith Observatory . A year later he resigned his professorship to remain director at the observatory. He also served as a research associate at Caltech in Pasadena during the same period. After the U.S. entered the Second World War , Dr. Alter took a leave from his position to serve in the armed forces for four years. He became a Colonel and served in a transport division. He remained a member of the army reserve following the war, training at Fort MacArthur , Los Angeles . , on the right.]] His earlier studies had focused on solar observation, but after the war he became increasingly concentrated on the Moon . As his expertise increased, he became an authority on the geology of the Moon, including its surface and history. He also remained involved in astronomy research, and in 1950 he served a term as president of the Astronomical Society Of The Pacific . In 1956 he used the 60" reflector at the Mount Wilson Observatory to observe a peculiar obscuration on part of the floor of Alphonsus Crater , which brought him world-wide notice. (This is a class of events now called a Transient Lunar Phenomenon .) During 1958 he reached mandatory retirement age, and was officially retired on March 31 . However he remained active during his retirement, writing several books on astronomy and performing consulting services. He also served as Director Emeritus for the Griffith Observatory. AWARDS AND HONORS
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