Clarence Chant | |
|---|---|
 Chant in 1935 at the opening of theDavid Dunlap Observatory | |
| Born | (1865-05-31)31 May 1865 |
| Died | 18 November 1956(1956-11-18) (aged 91) Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto Harvard University |
| Known for | being the "father of Canadian astronomy" |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy,Physics andMathematics |
| Institutions | University of Toronto |
| Notes | |
His book,Our Wonderful Universe has been translated into five other languages.[1] | |
Clarence Augustus Chant (May 31, 1865 – November 18, 1956) was aCanadianastronomer andphysicist.
Chant was born inHagerman's Corners,Canada West to Christopher Chant, a joiner and cabinet maker, and Elizabeth Croft. In 1882 he attendedMarkham High School, where he demonstrated a mathematical ability. After graduation, he attendedSt. Catherines Collegiate Institute. Having passed University of Torontomatriculation exams in 1884 but being unable to pay the fees, he attended the York County Model School inParkdale,Toronto for three months in order to train as a teacher. For the following three years, Chant taught in aone-room schoolhouse inMaxwell, Osprey Township in order to raise his university fees.
By 1887 he began studyingmathematics andphysics at the University College of theUniversity of Toronto, graduating in 1890.[2]
Upon graduation, Chant became a civil servant inOttawa, working as a temporary clerk in the office of the Auditor General. The job offered limited prospects; however, in 1891 he was offered a fellowship at University of Toronto, where he gained an appointment as a lecturer of physics the following year.
In 1894 he married Jean Laidlaw, and the couple had two daughters and a son. He earned his master's degree in 1900, and was granted a leave of absence to study for a Doctorate atHarvard University. He returned to Toronto with his PhD and in 1901 he became a professor.[3] During the 1890s and early 1900s, he performed early investigations intoX-ray photography andwireless telegraphy in Toronto.
While working at the university he became interested inastronomy, and in 1892 he joined what would become theRoyal Astronomical Society of Canada. He served as president of the organization from 1904 until 1907, and also performed editing duties for the society's journal until 1956. He also contributed articles to the journal and the annualObserver's Handbook.
In 1905, he introduced the first astronomy courses at theUniversity of Toronto, and later founded the astronomy program and department. He was the sole astronomer at the university until 1924, and the astronomical program was the only one in Canada. During this period he trained almost every Canadian-trained astronomer active in Canada.[4]
Beginning around 1905, Chant began to lobby the city ofToronto for a large observatory located in Toronto which would serve both the university and allow for public access to astronomy. The project was temporarily shelved with the advent ofWorld War I. In 1913, he researched and wrote a paper for the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada about an unusual event, a meteor procession, that took place that year over Canada and the US. Chant's article, drawn from eyewitness accounts, was the most prominent record of the procession.[5][6]
During his career, Chant joined five expeditions to observe solar eclipses. This included leading the Canadian contingent on a 1922 expedition that testedEinstein's theory that light could be deflected by a massive body, theGeneral Theory of Relativity.[7] The group included Chant, Jean Chant, Chant's daughter Elizabeth Chant andReynold K. Young, of theDominion Astrophysical Observatory.[8]
In the 1920s and 1930s, Chant was a prominent scientist and public figure. He regularly wrote columns for Toronto's newspapers, gave public lectures, and developed a lantern slideshow for public astronomical education. In 1928, he published the bookOur Wonderful Universe which was highly popular and was translated into several languages. In Chant's public lectures, he regularly concluded with a pitch promoting a large Toronto observatory suitable for research and public viewing.
In one of these public talks, Chant interested mining magnateDavid Alexander Dunlap in the proposed observatory, and the two exchanged some preliminary letters regarding the topic. After Dunlap's 1924 death, Chant approached Dunlap's widow, Jessie Donalda Dunlap, with the suggestion that she donate funds for an observatory in her husband's name. Jessie, who was also interested in astronomy, agreed to provide financial backing for the project.[9] In 1935 Chant's goal was achieved with the opening of theDavid Dunlap Observatory.[10] He retired from the university when the observatory opened, and moved into the Observatory House,Richmond Hill. He died at 91 years of age during theNovember 1956 lunar eclipse while still residing at the Observatory House.
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