Background
Leuschner, Armin Otto was born on January 16, 1868 in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Son of Otto Richard and Caroline (Humburg) Leuschner.
Leuschner, Armin Otto was born on January 16, 1868 in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Son of Otto Richard and Caroline (Humburg) Leuschner.
He then became the first graduate student at Lick Observatory, but due to conflicts with his advisor, Lick director Edward South. Holden, he left Lick before finishing his Doctor of Philosophy Leuschner subsequently returned to Germany and attended the University of Berlin, where in 1897 he earned his doctorate with a highly praised thesis on the orbits of comets.
He returned to the United States for university studies, graduating from the University of Michigan in 1888 with a degree in mathematics. He returned to California as an associate professor in astronomy at University of California Berkeley, where he remained for over half a century. He founded an observatory there for student instruction, later renamed in his honor.
Together with Lick director James East. Keeler, Leuschner shaped the combined graduate program at Berkeley and Lick into one of the nation"s foremost centers of astronomical education.
Leuschner"s own research continued to focus on the orbits of asteroids and comets. This subject required tremendous amounts of detailed computation, which made the work well-suited to be shared with a long series of students, many of whom went on to successful astronomical careers of their own.
More than five dozen students received their doctorates under Leuschner"s guidance. In 1913 Leuschner became dean of the entire graduate school at Berkeley, and later was appointed head of all World War I related training at the University.
Leuschner was one of the first astronomers to dispute Pluto as being Planet X as predicted by Lowell.
By 1932 he was already suggesting that Pluto had a mass less than the Earth, and that the discovery of Pluto was an accidental by-product of the Lowell search.
Member, secretary California Earthquake Commission, 1906-1910. Special expert United States Shipping Board, 1917. Fellow California Academy Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science (president Pacific division 1931-1932), Seismological Society American, International Geophysical Union, Astronomical Society Pacific (president 1908, 36, 43).
Member National Academy Sciences, National Research Council, American Philosophical Society, American Mathematics Society, Astronomische Gesellschaft, American Astronomical Society, Washington Academy Scienes, American Association University Professors (president 1923-1925), Delta Tau Delta, Sigma Xi, Phi Beta Kappa.
Clubs: University (San Francisco).
Married Ida Louise Denicke, May 20, 1896 (died November 15, 1941). Children: Erida Louise, Richard Denicke, Frederick Denicke (died December.