Background
Joy, Alfred Harrison was born on September 23, 1882 in Greenville, Illinois, United States. Son of Frank Pierce and Louise Alfreda (Maynard) Joy.
Astronomer university professor
Joy, Alfred Harrison was born on September 23, 1882 in Greenville, Illinois, United States. Son of Frank Pierce and Louise Alfreda (Maynard) Joy.
Bachelor of Philosophy, Greenville College, Greenville, Illinois, 1903, honorary, Doctor of Science, 1945. Master of Arts, Oberlin (O.) College, 1904. Graduate study, Princeton, 1910-1911.
He received a Bachelor from Greenville College in 1903 and an Master of Arts from Oberlin College the next year. After graduating, Joy went on to work at the American University of Beirut in the Syrian Protestant College as a professor of astronomy and the director of the observatory. He was forced to return to the United States. in 1915 because of World War I.
In the United States, he worked at the Mount Wilson Observatory from 1915 to 1952.
There, he and his colleagues ascertained the spectral type, absolute magnitude, and stellar distance of over 5,000 stars.
Joy also discovered the T-Tauri type star. He studied the Doppler displacement of the spectral lines of stars to determine their radial velocities deducing a star"s absolute dimensions, masses, and the orbital elements of some specific stars.
He was president of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in 1931 and 1939.
Member National Academy Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science (chairman, Security.D., 1948-1949), American Astronomical Society (president, 1949-1952). Astronomical Society of Pacific (president 1931, 39), Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, International Astronomical Union, Royal Astronomical Society (London). Clubs: University, Athenaeum.
Married Margherita O. Burns, July 23, 1919. Children: Richard Pierce, Edith Woodbury.