THE INCORPORATORS 119 



WILLIAM HOLMES CHAMBERS BARTLETT 

 Born, 1809; died, February u, 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 1 1, 1893. 



(See EDWARD S. HOLDEN, in Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy 

 of Sciences, vol. 7, 1912, pp. 171-193.) 



