Hastings, Charles S. (Charles Sheldon), 1849-1932

Ph.B., Yale, 1870, Ph.D., 1873; instructor in physics at Yale, 1871-1873; studied physics at Universities of Heidelberg and Berlin, 1873-1875 and at the Sorbonne, Paris, 1875-1876; assoc. prof. of physics, Johns Hopkins, 1876-1884; prof. of physics at Yale from 1884-1915, prof emeritus, 1915-1932.

Charles Hastings was born in Clinton, New York, on November 27, 1848. He received a Ph.B. from Yale in 1870, and a Ph.D in 1873. Between 1871 and 1873, he was instructor of physics at Yale, after which time he studied physics at the Universities of Heidelberg and Berlin and at the Sorbonne in Paris. From 1876 to 1884, he was associate professor of physics at Johns Hopkins University. He returned to Yale in 1884 to become professor of physics, a position he held until 1915 when he became professor emeritus. Hastings died in Greenwich, Connecticut, on January 31, 1932.

Charles Sheldon Hastings, Ph.B. 1870.

Born November 27, 1848, in Clinton, N. Y.; Died January 31, 1932, in Greenwich, Conn.

Father, Panet Marshall Hastings (B.A. Hamilton 1838; M.D. Columbia 1842); physician in Clinton and Hartford; lecturer at Hamilton; connected with Hartford Hospital; son of Dr. Seth Hastings, Jr., and Huldah (Clark) Hastings, of Clinton. Mother, Jane (Sheldon) Hastings; daughter of Charles and Alicia (Lawrence) Sheldon, of Hartford.

Hartford Public High School. Engineering course; member The Colony and Berzelius.

Studied in Yale Graduate School 1870-73 (Ph.D. 1873); instructor in physics 1871-73; studied physics at Universities of Heidelberg and Berlin 1873-75 and at the Sorbonne, Paris, 1875-76; associate professor of physics at Johns Hopkins University 1876-1884; professor of physics at Yale from 1884 until retirement 1915, when made professor emeritus; co-author, with Professor Frederick E. Beach, '83 S.: Text Book on General Physics (1899) and Light, A Consideration of the More Familiar Phenomena of Optics (1901); author: New Methods in Geometrical Optics (1928); made an Officier de l'Instruction Publique at the Sorbonne 1889; corresponding member Societa degli Spectroscopisti Italiani; member National Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Physical Society, American Philosophical Society (received Elliott Cresson Medal of the society 1926), and the United Church (Congregational), New Haven; president of Graduates Club Association 1905-07.

Married June 28, 1878, in Hartford, Elizabeth Tracy, daughter of Elisha Tracy and Catharine M. (Barker) Smith, and sister of Charles W. Smith, ex-'74 S. One daughter, Katharine Panet, ex-'04 Art, the wife of Horace W. Chittenden '03 S.

Death due to cerebral hermorrhage and arteriosclerosis. Buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford. Survived by daughter.

Taken from Yale University Obituary Record, 1931-34, page 143.