Background
Smith, Edwin was born on April 13, 1851 in New York, United States. Son of Edwin and Adelia O. (McIntyre) Smith.
Smith, Edwin was born on April 13, 1851 in New York, United States. Son of Edwin and Adelia O. (McIntyre) Smith.
Educated College City of New York to junior year, class of ’71. Self-study in astronomy and geodesy.
Entered United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1870, assistant, 1874. Astronomer in charge party to observe transit of Venus at Chatham Islands, South. Pacific, 1874. Same, Auckland, New Zealand, 1882.
Next determined force of gravity at Auckland, New Zealand, Sydney, New South Wales, Singapore, Tokio, Japan, San Francisco and Washington, with the 3 Kater pendulums belonging to the Royal Society of England, which had been used in the Great Indian Survey.
In charge instrument division United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1879-1894, during which time also carried on observations for variation of latitude at Rockville, Maryland., in cooperation with the work of the International Geodetic Association Left Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1895, and was with the New York State Land Survey till end of 1897, when was again appointed assistant Coast and Geodetic Survey. In 1899 established International Geodetic Association Latitude Observatory at Gaithersburg, Maryland., and made observations for variation of latitude from October 1899, to January, 1901.
Engaged on astronomical, magnetic, and geodetic work of the survey, since 1901. Wrote several papers public as appendices to Coast and Geodetic Service Representatives Address: Rockville, Maryland.
Married Lucy South. Black, November 17, 1885.