Rotch, Abbott Lawrence, 1861-1912

Rotch, a meteorologist, founded and was director of Blue Hill Observatory, near Boston, Mass. He took the earliest American measurements of cloud height and velocities. In 1906, Rotch became the first professor of meteorology at Harvard. In cooperation with Teisserenc de Bort, he sent an expedition to explore the atmosphere above the tropical ocean, 1905-1906; ascended Mont Blanc six times, reaching the summit thrice; and ballooned above Paris in 1889.

From the description of Papers, 1876?-1912. (Harvard University). WorldCat record id: 122372634

From the guide to the Abbott Lawrence Rotch papers, 1876?-1912., (Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University)

Meteorologist and balloonist.

From the description of Abbott Lawrence Rotch papers 1896-1912 (bulk 1903-1910). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 595789393

Biographical Note

• 1861, Jan. 6: Born, Boston, Mass.
• 1884: Graduated, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
• 1885: Established the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory, near Boston, Mass.
• 1886 - 1912 : Editor or associate editor, American Meteorological Journal
• 1888 - 1891 : Assistant in meteorology (honorary position), Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
• 1889: Made two balloon ascensions from Paris, France, using modern instruments
• 1893: Married Margaret Randolph Anderson
• 1894: Used kites for the first time to record data about the upper atmosphere
• 1899 - 1912 : Librarian, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• 1900: Published Sounding the Ocean of Air: Being Six Lectures Delivered to the Lowell Institute of Boston in December 1898. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; New York: E. & J. B. Young & Co.
• 1901: Obtained meteorological data by flying kites from the deck of a moving steamer Invented a device to determine the true direction and velocity of the wind at sea
• 1902 - 1906 : Assistant in meteorology (honorary position), Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
• 1904: Used free balloons to make the first meteorological observations in the United States at heights of five to ten miles
• 1905: Collaborated with Léon Philippe Teisserenc de Bort in sending an expedition to explore the atmosphere over the tropical and temperate parts of the Atlantic Ocean, which secured data that later assisted in establishing the best routes for transatlantic flying
• 1906: First professor of meteorology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
• 1909: Made the first trigonometric measurements of the flight of pilot balloons in the United States Published The Conquest of the Air: The Advent of Aerial Navigation. New York: Moffat, Yard and Co.
• 1911: Published with Henry Palmer Charts of the Atmosphere for Aeronauts and Aviators. New York: J. Wiley and Sons
• 1912, Apr. 7: Died, Boston, Mass.

From the guide to the Abbott Lawrence Rotch Papers, 1896-1912, (bulk 1903-1910), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)