Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-28

It isn't due to the fact that he sAs born A
Strelno. Germany within ~ naIles Of the bdwth-
place Of CopernicuS. He Is the snn Of Samuel
and Resale Nicholson. Stxelno had small in
nuence on him. since his parents took him from
there at the age Of 2, migrating to America
and settling in Virginia City, New
It was due TO his father that he went to
the United States Naval Academy and rather
against his own inclination, and it was only
BY the grace Of President Grant that he was
admitted, for though he passed the entrance
examination, 1t happened that there was no
appointment vacant for him. Grant made
an exception in his favor after he had gOxe
all the way from Nevada to Washington at
ms fathers 1nsstence. He embarked upon
naval career that had . short duration.
AT the academy he was criticized by one
OF his instructors because his natural inter-
est in mathematics, chemistry and physics
overbalaneed the pains he took in his other
studies. But nevertheless he was graduated
and spent two years as a midshipman before
he was recalled to the academy to teach.
One Of his first assignments was demon
stration of the manner in which the velocity
OF light had been measured. The assignment
was difficult one because the academy lacked
the necessary apparatus. However he rum
mayed through the laboratory junk piles and
bought additional equipment with $40 of his
own money and performed an experiment
which he subsequently described in scientific
paper, launching his scientific career
His genius was Immediately apparent and
he was sent to study at the University of
Berlin, at Heidelberg and at the College de
France, Ecole Polytechnique Upon the conn
pletion of this tour he resigned from the Navy
and took up teaching, FIRST at Case, where
he remained six years, and then at Clark
University, which held him for three years
until he was asked by the University of Chi
cago to take charge of it's department of
physics.
During the war he was enrolled in the
Navy again as a lieutenant commander the
only rank which he could be given under the
regulations, and while back in the service he
developed an optical range finder for the
Nays guns.
A time goes on scientists, particularly
astronomers, fnd increasing use for his
interferometer. One has been mounted ON the
1OO-inch reflector at Mount Wilson and with
its aid there the diameter Of the giant star
Betelgeuse and the components of double stars
have been measured.
DR.. Millikan never tires of extolling his old
teacher.
said, els the assumption that the sun is stok-
ing his own mass into his furnaces, thereby
reducing his waitSband at q rate measured
by the scale of 2,5oO,0 900 tons a minute-the
only means astronomers have Of accounting
for the enormous lifetime of the sun and other
stars.
Now, whether that conception has any i'm
mediate commercial Importance or not, if it
is true, as we think 1t is, it is one of such
stupendous significance for mans understand
ing of the universe in which he lives that its
Importance transcends all asSignable money
value, and Michelsons part in bringing it to
light makes him bigger world asset than any
billion dollar corporation In the United States
or than all of them put together"