Henry Smith Pritchett | |
|---|---|
 Pritchett circa 1911 | |
| 5th President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology | |
| In office 1900–1907 | |
| Preceded by | James Crafts |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Amos Noyes(acting) |
| 9th Superintendent of theU.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey | |
| In office December 1, 1897 – November 30, 1900 | |
| Preceded by | William Ward Duffield |
| Succeeded by | Otto Hilgard Tittmann |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1857-04-16)April 16, 1857 |
| Died | August 28, 1939(1939-08-28) (aged 82) Santa Barbara,California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Pritchett College |
| Signature | .png) |
.jpg)
Henry Smith Pritchett (April 16, 1857 – August 28, 1939) was an American astronomer, university president and philanthropist.
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding missing information.(May 2014) |
Pritchett was born on April 16, 1857, inFayette, Missouri, the son ofCarr Waller Pritchett, Sr., and attendedPritchett College inGlasgow, Missouri, receiving anA.B. in 1875.[1]
He then took instruction fromAsaph Hall for two years at theUS Naval Observatory after which he was made an assistant astronomer. In 1880, he returned to Glasgow to take a position at theMorrison Observatory, where his fatherCarr Waller Pritchett, Sr. was director. He served as an astronomer on theTransit of Venus Expedition to New Zealand in 1882. When he returned in 1883, he took an appointment as professor of mathematics and astronomy and director of the observatory atWashington University in St. Louis. In the early 1890s he studied in Germany, where he earned a PhD from theUniversity of Munich in 1894. He was Superintendent of theUnited States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1897 to 1900. In 1899, he was elected to theAmerican Philosophical Society.[2]
Pritchett served as the president of theMassachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from 1900 to 1906.
Pritchett was elected to theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1901.[3]
Pritchett was elected a member of theAmerican Antiquarian Society in 1902.[4] Pritchett later resigned, though the reasons and timing are unclear.[5]
He was president of theCarnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (CFAT) from 1906 until he retired in 1930. His principal accomplishment while with the CFAT was the institution of a fully fundedpension program (theTeachers Insurance and Annuity Association, TIAA) in 1918.
He also served as the first president of theNational Society for the Promotion of Industrial Education (1907). He had a long involvement with theCarnegie Endowment for International Peace, and served as a trustee forCarnegie Institute for Science.
He died on August 28, 1939, inSanta Barbara, California.[6]
Pritchett Lounge, on the second floor of theWalker Memorial building at MIT, is named in his honor.
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | 9thSuperintendent, United States Coast and Geodetic Survey 1897–1900 | Succeeded by |
| Academic offices | ||
| Preceded by | 5th President of theMassachusetts Institute of Technology 1900 – 1907 | Succeeded by |
