Search

Frank K. Edmondson earned his undergraduate degree in 1933 and his masters degree in 1934 from Indiana University. After earning his Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard, he joined the Indiana University Department of Astronomy in 1937, and became chairman of the department in 1944, a position he held until 1978. He speaks of his academic roots at Seymour High School, his experiences at Indiana University, and his use and/or association with the Lowell, Harvard, Goethe Link, and Kirkwood observatories. In addition, Edmondson speaks of many of the leading figures in the field of astronomy, including Henry Norris Russell and Wilber Cogshall, and he discusses the development and changes undergone by the Indiana University Department of Astronomy. He recalls the effects of Sputnik on this field and his involvement with associations such as the National Science Foundation, or NSF, and the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, or AURA. Finally, he recalls his experiences and interactions with many people at Indiana University including Herman B Wells and Alfred Kinsey.