EDWARD SINGLETON HOLDEN. 893 



observed comets, nebulae, satellites and double stars; he prepared 

 and published bibliographies relating to nebulae and star clusters, 

 to the transits of Mercury, and to other subjects; he prepared annual 

 reports on the progress of astronomy; he published a critical descrip- 

 tion of the 26-inch refracting telescope, a monograph on the Nebula of 

 Orion, a volume on The Life and Works of Sir William Herschel, and, 

 in collaboration with Professor Newcomb, a textbook on astronomy. 



Professor Holden was in charge of an expedition dispatched by 

 the Naval Observatory to observe the total solar eclipse of July, 1878, 

 at Central City, Colorado. 



In 1881 Professor Holden resigned his commission in the navy and 

 accepted the directorship of the Washburn Observatory, University 

 of Wisconsin. This position he held during the years 1881-85. At 

 Madison he organized and pushed the observational work of the 

 Washburn Observatory with vigor. 



Professor Holden was in charge of the expedition sent by the 

 National Academy of Sciences to observe the total solar eclipse of 

 May, 1883, in the Caroline Islands, where he was assisted by four 

 young astronomers whose names later became well known: C. S. 

 Hastings, E. D. Preston, S. J. Brown and Winslow Upton. An 

 extensive program was carried through successfully. The volume 

 containing the observational results is a model in form, and is fre- 

 quently referred to by eclipse observers. 



In 1885 Professor Holden was appointed President of the Univer- 

 sity of California and Director of the Lick Observatory, to serve in 

 the former capacity until the Observatory should be completed, and 

 thereafter in the latter capacity. He assumed the active directorship 

 of the Lick Observatory on June 1, 1888. Professor Holden was 

 consulted extensively by the Lick Trustees, beginning with 1874, 

 and during the last three years of the construction period he was 

 intimately associated with the Trustees as adviser. 



Professor Holden's term of office as the first Director of the Lick 

 Observatory terminated b^y resignation on December 31, 1897. 



An astronomer has said that " the first requisite for the director of a 

 great observatory is to have a very clear notion of just what kind of 

 work ought to be done, how it should be done, and then to give all the 

 aid in his power to the investigator." Director Holden selected the 

 most promising men he could find in the United States to comprise 

 the Observatory staff. He assigned them definitely to lines of research 

 which the succeeding years have shown to be of the highest importance. 

 He gave them such opportunities to succeed as no other astronomers 



