William Harkness

Scottish American astronomer (1837–1903)
the American businessman

William Harkness (December 17, 1837 – February 28, 1903) was an astronomer. He was born at Ecclefechan, Scotland, a son of James (1803–78) and Jane (née Wield) Harkness. His father was a pastor and moved the family to the United States. Harkness served in the military, traveled extensively, and headed research missions developing techniques and equipment for astronomical study. Harkness died at his home in Jersey City on February 28, 1903, at the age of 65.

Raised in Fishkill Landing, New York, Harkness was educated at Lafayette College (September 1854 – January 1856), graduated from the University of Rochester (1858) where he was a brother of Delta Kappa Epsilon, and then studied medicine in New York City. In 1862, Harkness graduated from the New York Homeopathic Medical College. In August 1862, he served as volunteer surgeon for the Union Army at the Second Battle of Bull Run. From 1862 to 1865, Harkness was an "aid in astronomy" at the United States Naval Observatory. In August 1863, Harkness was commissioned as a professor of mathematics in the United States Navy with the relative rank of lieutenant commander. In July 1864, he served as a military surgeon during the Battle of Fort Stevens. and had charge of the party at Hobart, Tasmania in 1879 and at Washington in 1882, when he became the executive officer. In 1874, Harkness was conferred an honorary LL. D. degree by the University of Rochester. His most memorable accomplishments are related to the construction of telescopes, his theory of the focal curve of achromatic telescopes, and his invention of the spherometer caliper and other astronomical instruments. He was astronomical director of the Naval Observatory (1894–99) and director of the Nautical Almanac (1897–99). Harkness retired from the navy two days after attaining the relative rank of rear admiral (December 1899), having reached the mandatory retirement age of sixty two.