Background
Lyman, Chester Smith was born on January 13, 1814 in Manchester, Connecticut, United States. Son of Chester and Mary (Smith) Lyman.
Lyman, Chester Smith was born on January 13, 1814 in Manchester, Connecticut, United States. Son of Chester and Mary (Smith) Lyman.
Graduated from Yale, 1837. Attended Union Theological Seminary, 1839-1840.
Pastor, 1st Church (Congregational), New Britain, Connecticut, 1843-1845. Traveled, pursued varied occupations including surveyor in Hawaii, gold digger in California, 1845-1850. Helped prepare definitions for Webster’s Dictionary, 1850-circa 1855.
Professor industrial mechanics and physics Sheffield Scientific School of Yale, 1859-1871, professor astronomy and physics, 1871-1884, professor astronomy, 1884-1890.
Made 1st satisfactory observation of planet Venus, 1866. Vice president American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1874.
President Connecticut Academy Arts and Science, 1859-1877. Inventions include: 1st combined transit and zenith instrument for determining latitude.
An apparatus for demonstrating wave motion.
Improvements in clock pendulums.
Married Delia Williams Wood, June 20, 1850.