Background
Schlesinger, Frank was born on May 11, 1871 in New York, United States. Son of William Joseph and Mary (Wagner) Schlesinger.
Schlesinger, Frank was born on May 11, 1871 in New York, United States. Son of William Joseph and Mary (Wagner) Schlesinger.
Bachelor of Science, College City of New York, 1890. Master of Arts, Columbia, 1897, Doctor of Philosophy, 1898. Doctor of Science, University of Pittsburgh, 1920.
Doctor of Science, Cambridge, 1925.
In charge International Latitude Observatory, Ukiah, California, 1899-1903. Astronomer Yerkes Observatory, under auspices of Carnegie Institution, 1903-1905.
Director Allegheny Observatory (University of Pittsburgh), 1905-1920. Director Yale University Observatory, 1920-1941.
Director emeritus since July 1, 1941.
His work concentrated on using photographic plates rather than direct visual studies for astronomical research. He then worked as a surveyor, becoming a special student in astronomy at Columbia in 1894. After his graduation, he spent the summer at Yerkes Observatory as a volunteer assisting director George Ellery Hale.
He was an observer in charge of the International Latitude Observatory, Ukiah, California, in 1898.
From 1899 to 1903, he was an astronomer at Yerkes, where he pioneered the use of photographic methods to determine stellar parallaxes. He was director of Allegheny Observatory from 1903 to 1920 and Yale University Observatory from 1920 to 1941.
At Yale he worked extensively with Ida Barney He compiled and published the Yale Bright Star Catalogue. The first publication of the results of this work started in 1925 (Transactions of the Yale University Observatory, v 4) and the work concluded in the 1980s.
He made major contributions to astrometry.
Asked how to say his name, he told The Literary Digest "The name is so difficult for those who do not speak German that I am usually called sles"in-jer, to rime with messenger. lieutenant is, of course, of German origin and means "a native of Schlesien" or Silesia. In that language the pronunciation is shlayzinger, to rime with singer." They had one child, Frank Wagner Schlesinger, who later directed planetariums in Philadelphia and Chicago.
Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (past chairman Section A), American Academy Arts,and Sciences. Member National Academy Sciences, American Philosophical Society, American Astronomical Society (past president), International Astronomical Union (past president), Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi. Member Mexican Astronomical Society, Italian Society of Spectroscopists.
Member French Academy Sciences, French Bureau de Longitudes, Swedish Academy Sciences.