THE INCORPORATORS 119 
WILLIAM HOLMES CHAMBERS BARTLETT 
Born, 1809; died, February 11, 1893 
Professor Bartlett was distinguished both as a soldier and as 
a man of science. He was born in Lancaster County, Pennsyl- 
vania, in 1809, and early in life moved to Missouri. He was 
appointed to West Point from that State, graduated in 1826 
at the head of his class and became second lieutenant of 
engineers. From 1827 to 1829 he was assistant professor in 
the Military Academy, and Acting Professor of Natural and 
Experimental Philosophy from 1834 to 1836. In the inter- 
vening years, from 1829 to 1832, he was engaged in construction 
work at Fortress Monroe and at Fort Adams, and from 1832 to 
1834 was assistant engineer at Washington, D. C. Resigning 
his lieutenancy, he returned to West Point in 1836 and was 
appointed to the professorship of natural and experimental 
philosophy which he had held as an acting officer in previous 
years. In this position he remained until 1871. In that year, 
at his own request, he was retired, with the rank of colonel, and 
became actuary for the New York Mutual Life Insurance Com- 
pany. 
During the year 1840, Professor Bartlett went abroad to 
purchase instruments for observations at West Point and 
travelled extensively, visiting the principal observatories of the 
world. He made numerous contributions to the American 
Journal of Science, and also wrote a treatise on rifled guns 
which was published in Memoirs of the National Academy of 
Sciences. Among his other writings are a “‘ Treatise on Optics ”’; 
“ Synthetical Mechanics,” in which are some original problems; 
“Acoustics and Optics ”; “Analytical Mechanics”’; and “‘Spher- 
ical Astronomy.” He also wrote a textbook for military cadets, 
which is still used in colleges. 
He died at Yonkers, New York, February 11, 1893. 
(See Epwarp S. HoLtpen, in Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy 
of Sciences, vol. 7, 1912, pp. 171-193.) 
