Delaware, Ohio is the home of Perkins Observatory. Perkins Observatory is an astronomical observatory that is owned and operated by the Ohio Wesleyan University. The observatory hosts weekly programs, monthly lectures, and special events; and people come from all over to view comets, eclipses, and other exciting astronomical events. Most of central Ohio relies on the observatory to provide important information, answer questions, and tutor the public in the exciting world of astronomy.
The Perkins Observatory was named after Hiram Perkins; a professor at Ohio Wesleyan University. Perkins was known as an uncompromising and demanding instructor, a devout Methodist with deep convictions, and a very intelligent scientist and mathematician. He himself graduated from Ohio Wesleyan in 1957, and was immediately offered an instructor position at the college.
During the American Civil war, Perkins took a leave of absence to enlist in the Union Army; unfortunately, he was considered physically unfit for service. He was 6’4” and 97 pounds, and even his students referred to him as, “the human skeleton.” Unable to enlist, Perkins still wanted to do his part; so he decided to return to his family’s hog farm and help produce food for the troops. Perkins combined his mathematical and scientific knowledge to help his family’s hog farm reach its maximum potential; he also made a great deal of money in the process. After he returned to Ohio Wesleyan, he continued his business investments and continued to do well.
In 1896, Perkins donated some of his money to build the first, “Perkins Astronomical Observatory.” As time passed, Perkins began to consider what to do with his fortune, because he had no heirs for his estate. Perkins decided to help create what he called, “an astronomical observatory of importance.” He wanted to create a facility to perform cutting edge research. Perkins funded $250,000 of the $350,000 budget needed to build the new observatory; it took fifteen years to raise the rest of the money and find the right spot to build, but in 1923, 90 year old Perkins attended the new observatory’s groundbreaking ceremony. Unfortunately, Perkins passed away before the completion of the facility. The facility would include a lecture room, library, office space, walk in vault, small bedroom for astronomers who came to visit, work rooms, and metal fabrication shops.
Perkins also insisted that the telescope mirror needed for the observatory be cast in the U.S. At the time, there were no companies with the experience to create such a large mirror. The National Bureau of Standards decided to take the challenge; and after more than three years of trial and error, they successfully created the third largest mirror in the world (at the time). Some say that this demand helped launch the optical glass industry in the U.S.
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