Heber Doust Curtis, astronomer, was born in Muskegon, 

 Michigan, in 1872. In 1902 he received his Ph.D. from 

 the University of Virginia, and in 1893 his A.M. from the 

 University of Michigan. He began to teach astronomy in 

 1897, and ever since has devoted himself to that science. He 

 has observed astronomical phenomena at various places in the 

 United States, South America, Labrador, Russia and Sumatra. 

 In this connection he has the unusual distinction of having ob- 

 sei-ved nine total solar eclipses. He is member of the National 

 Academy of Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. 

 He has made numerous contributions to scientific publications. 

 Recently, he w^as appointed Director of the Detroit Observatory 

 of the University of Michigan. The article he presents in this 

 s} mposium is an expansion of an address delivered in the series 

 of Faculty Religious Forums of the University of Pittsburgh, 

 where for ten years he was director of the Alleghany observa- 

 tory. 



