200 PROCEEDINGS OF THE OHIO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



the sciences of mathematics, physics and astronomy. In 1866 

 he was invited to return to Dartmouth to succeed his father as 

 professor of mathematics and natural philosophy. 



During a part of his last years at Hudson it was my 

 privilege to be his pupil in astronomy and his occasional assis- 

 tant in his lectures in physics and out of this relation there grew 

 an intimate friendship that terminated only wath his death in 

 1908. While observing star transits in the little observatory at 

 Hudson, w^ith the instrument mounted by Loomis, he told me of 

 the call to Dartmouth and of his reluctance either to accept it 

 or decline it. On the one hand he had become really attached to 

 Ohio. He had lived in. this state throughout the dark period 

 of the civil war and for a time he had served as captain of a 

 company in the 85th Regiment of Ohio Volunteers, composed 

 largely of students from the college. On the other hand, he 

 deplored the lack of instrumental equipment of the college at 

 Hudson, and the meagre outfit of the observatory, obstacles that 

 stood in the way of his initiating and carrying out certain studies 

 and investigations the germs of which were already stirring in 

 his brain, and for this lack there seemed to be at that time no 

 remedy. At last, however, his natural pride in being called to 

 succeed his father and grandfather turned the scale. He left 

 Ohio and w^ithin a few years was climbing the ladder of fame 

 as the most distinguished spectroscopic astronomer in America 

 and one of the first in the world. The last twenty-eight years 

 of his life he spent at Princeton, as professor of astronomy, and 

 there much of his most important work was done. 



During his residence in Ohio Professor Young mingled with 

 others of his kind whenever opportunity offered. He was a 

 man of charming personality; the twinkle of his eye, combined 

 with a most winning smile, was irresistible. Students called 

 him "Twinkle" a name which they thought appropriate for two 

 reasons. The influence of such a combination of rigorous schol- 

 arship with the best elements found in human nature upon the 

 students and the college men of Ohio of his time was great 

 and lasting and we must be allowed to claim him as one of 

 our scientific forebears. 



