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Leah Allen

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Leah Allen
The Crocker eclipse expedition. Allen is third from the right.
Born(1884-11-06)November 6, 1884
DiedFebruary 1973(1973-02-00) (aged 88)
Scientific career
Fieldsastronomy
InstitutionsLick Observatory, Wellesley College, Hood College
Academic advisorsWinslow Upton
Notes

Leah Brown Allen (November 6, 1884 – February 1973) was an American astronomer. Allen was Professor of Astronomy and Director of Williams Observatory at Hood College.

Education and career

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She attended Hope High School in Providence, graduating in 1903. She then studied at Pembroke College in Brown University, 1904–1906, where she did special work in astronomy[a] under Professor Winslow Upton, director of Ladd Observatory.[4] She received an A.B. degree in 1907.[5] Allen joined Lick Observatory as Carnegie Assistant in 1908 after a recommendation by Upton.[4] At Lick her work involved "...duties in the measurement and reduction of spectrograms."[6] She received her M.A. from Wellesley College in 1912.[7] Her thesis was a spectroscopic study of the star Eta Centauri. Allen participated in Lick Observatory's Crocker expedition to view the total Solar eclipse of June 8, 1918 at Goldendale, Washington.[8] She was an assistant professor of astronomy at Wellesly, along with Lois Tripp Slocum, in the early 1920s.[9] She was affiliated with the Whitin Observatory at Wellesley.[10] Allen began teaching astronomy at Hood in 1928.[11] She was director of the John H. Williams Observatory at Hood.[12] She gave lectures at amateur astronomy groups.[13] She retired from teaching in 1955.[14]

Personal life

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Allen was the daughter of Samuel F. Allen, who had been described as a "veteran balloonist."[15] Her mother was Abby L. Allen.[1]

She enjoyed sailing from the time that she was in college. Her sister considered her an expert at handling her sailboat in inclement weather.[4]

She became active in the women's suffrage movement after reading a speech by her sister, called “Why Women Should Be Given the Vote.” She was an advocate of voting rights and played a role in earning women the right to vote in Rhode Island.[11]

Awards and honors

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The following prizes are named in her honor:

Allen was a member of the following societies:

Correspondents

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Publications

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Notes

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  1. ^ Upton taught an astronomy course called Special Advanced Work which was described as "Research work arranged to meet the requirements of individual students. Elective for Graduates and approved Undergraduates."[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Person Details for Leah Brown Allen, Rhode Island Births and Christenings, 1600-1914". FamilySearch. Archived from the original on 2017-03-29. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  2. ^ "Person Details for Leah Allen, United States Social Security Death Index". FamilySearch. Archived from the original on 2017-03-29. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  3. ^ Announcement of Courses Offered in Brown University. 1906. p. 18. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b c Proctor, Mary (August 23, 1908). "New England Girl Comes to Lick Observatory". San Francisco Call. Retrieved 2025-02-21.
  5. ^ Register 1907-08. University of California Bulletin. Vol. II. Berkeley: University of California. February 1909. p. 42. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  6. ^ Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Vol. XVIII. San Francisco, CA: Astronomical Society of the Pacific. February 10, 1906. p. 246. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  7. ^ "Legacies and Gifts 1941-42". Wellesley College Bulletin. Wellesley College. 15 October 1942 – via Internet Archive.
  8. ^ Campbell, W.W.; Boothroyd, S.L.; Curtis, H.D.; Hoover, J.E.; Allen, Leah B.; et al. (August 1918). "The Crocker eclipse expedition from the Lick Observatory, University of California June 8, 1918". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 30 (176): 219–240. Bibcode:1918PASP...30..219C. doi:10.1086/122736. JSTOR 40710021. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  9. ^ "Faculty". Wellesley College Bulletin. 1924. p. 12. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  10. ^ Allen, Leah (1916). Wilson, Herbert C. (ed.). "A More Favorable Public Opinion". Popular Astronomy. 24. Goodsell Observatory, Carleton College: 538–540. Bibcode:1916PA.....24..538M. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  11. ^ a b Bodine, Andrew (April 30, 2013). Important Names in the History of Mathematics at Hood College (PDF). Hood College (Thesis). Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  12. ^ "Providence Girl Able Astronomer". Providence Sunday Journal. Providence, RI. June 15, 1930.
  13. ^ "The Skyscrapers". Popular Astronomy. 41 (120): 120-121. January 1933. Bibcode:1933PA.....41....1. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  14. ^ Breen, Robert G. (22 June 1955). "Stars To Lose A Star Student". The Sun. Baltimore, Md. p. 14.
  15. ^ "Veteran Balloonist has First Trip in Heavier-Than-Air Ship". Providence Journal. Providence, RI. July 17, 1930.
  16. ^ "History of the American Astronomical Society". Archived from the original on 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2009-06-26. The Fifty-seventh Meeting of the AAS was held at Hood College, Frederick, Maryland, from Monday to Wednesday, December 28–30, 1936 at the invitation of Leah B. Allen, Professor of Astronomy.
  17. ^ Hoffleit, Dorrit (2001). "The Maria Mitchell Observatory: For Astronomical Research and Public Enlightenment" (PDF). Journal of the American Association of Variable Star Observers. 30 (1). AAVSO: 70. Bibcode:2001JAVSO..30...62H. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-01-09.
  18. ^ Hogg, Helen Sawyer (1984). "Variable stars". In Hoskin, Michael (ed.). Astrophysics and twentieth-century astronomy to 1950: Part A. The General History of Astronomy. Vol. 4. Cambridge University Press. p. 75. ISBN 9780521242561. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  19. ^ "Finding Aid to the Papers of Annie Jump Cannon, 1863-1978". Neils Bohr Library and Archives. American Institute of Physics. Archived from the original on 2011-06-04. Retrieved 2025-02-21.
  20. ^ "Finding Aid to the William F. Meggers Papers, 1917-1966". www.aip.org.