Papers of Cecilia Helena Payne-Gaposchkin, 1924, circa 1950s-1990s, 2000

Introduction

Cecilia Helena Payne-Gaposchkin (1900-1979), the first woman to attain a full professorship through a regular faculty promotion at Harvard University, was a pioneer in astrophysics and a leading authority on the brightness of variable stars. Her work was of fundamental importance in the study of stellar atmospheres and the research techniques that she perfected for analyzing starlight photographically were widely used and helped provide astronomers with a better understanding of the composition of stars.

Education and Research

Gaposchkin was born in Wendover, Buckinghamshire, England on May 10, 1900 to Edward Payne and Emma Pertz. Growing up in England, Gaposchkin attended both religious and private grammar schools. In 1919 she entered Newnham College at Cambridge University with the intention of studying botany, physics, and chemistry. However, after listening to a lecture by astrophysicist Arthur Eddington about solar eclipses, she decided to change her academic direction and pursue a career in astronomy. At Newnham College, Gaposchkin attended as many astronomy classes as she could, set up a telescope, and presided over the college's Science Society.

Faced with limited academic opportunities in Great Britain, Gaposchkin decided to attend school in the United States and applied for a fellowship to do research at the Harvard College Observatory in 1923. She became one of the first students in Harvard's new graduate program in astronomy. Gaposchkin continued her studies of variable stars as the first PhD student in astronomy at Radcliffe College in 1924. Gaposchkin's research work at Radcliffe involved the analysis of Harvard University's immense collection of spectra photographs, a collection consisting of tens of thousands of images. Her findings, published in her work entitled Stellar Atmospheres, A Contribution to the Observational Study of High Temperature in the Reversing Layers of Stars, determined stellar temperatures and established that stars were made up of hydrogen and helium with traces of other elements.

Upon graduation, Gaposchkin continued her work at Harvard as an astronomer pursuing her studies of the stars and the structure of the Milky Way Galaxy. In collaboration with her husband, Sergei, a Russian astronomer émigré working at the observatory, Gaposchkin undertook the systematic investigation of all known variable stars brighter than the tenth magnitude and published her results in 1938. Her work, Variable Stars, became the standard reference in the field. During the 1930's and 1940's, both Cecilia and Sergei, together with 29 assistants in the Observatory, made more than 1,250,000 observations of variable stars and laid the groundwork for all subsequent work on them and their use as indicators of the structure of the galaxy. Finally, in the 1960's, the Gaposchkins made more than two million photographic estimates of the stars in the two satellite galaxies of the Milky Way Galaxy, the Magellanic Clouds.

Conclusion

Gaposchkin entered Harvard's academic community when opportunities for women in the field of astronomy were limited. Despite her discoveries, she lacked the recognition afforded her male counterparts and received a smaller salary. In addition to her scientific work, she edited the volumes published by the Harvard Observatory and papers submitted by the staff to outside journals. She also taught a series of astronomy lecture courses. It was not until 1938 that she received a permanent appointment to the Harvard staff; in 1956 she finally received a full professorship. That same year she became chair of the Astronomy Department, the first woman to chair a department at Harvard University. She retired from active teaching in 1966.

Gaposchkin was recognized by her peers for her definitive studies of variable stars. She authored or coauthored nine books and 351 papers between 1925 and 1979. These studies of variable stars and novae were widely read by both students and astronomers and helped define the structure of the galaxy and the paths of stellar evolution.

Family

Cecilia Gaposchkin married Sergei in 1934. They had three children: Edward Michael, Katharine Leonora (Haramundanis), and Peter John Arthur.

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin died on December 7, 1979

• 1900 Born May 10, Wendover, Buckinghamshire, England
• 1919-1923 Attended Newnham College at Cambridge University
• 1923Started first research at Harvard College ObservatoryElected member of the Royal Astronomical Society
• 1924 Elected member of American Astronomical Society
• 1925 Received PhD in astronomy from Radcliffe College
• 1925-1927 Research Fellow at the Harvard College Observatory
• 1927-1938 Technical Assistant to Harlow Shapley, Harvard College Observatory
• 1933 Awarded Annie J. Cannon Prize recognizing the work of exceptional women astronomers (first winner)
• 1934, March 6Married Sergei Gaposchkin
• 1936 Elected member of American Philosophical Society
• 1938 Appointed Phillips Astronomer at Harvard University
• 1938 Published Variable Stars
• 1942 Received honorary degree from Wilson College, Doctor of Science
• 1943 Elected member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• 1945-1947 President of Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi chapter at Radcliffe College
• 1948 Appointed Lecturer of Astronomy at Harvard University
• 1950 Received honorary degree from Cambridge University, Doctor of Science
• 1951 Received honorary degree from Smith College, Doctor of Science
• 1952 Presented with Award of Merit from Radcliffe College
• 1952 Published Stars in the Making
• 1953 Received honorary degree from Western College for Women, Doctor of Science
• 1954 Published Variable Stars and Galactic Structure
• 1956-1966 Professor of Astronomy
• 1956-1960 Chairperson of the Astronomy Department (first woman department chairperson at Harvard)
• 1957Awarded Annual Achievement Award of the American Association of University WomenPublished Galactic Novae
• 1958Appointed Phillips Professor of AstronomyReceived honorary degree from Colby College
• 1961 Awarded Rittenhouse Medal from Franklin InstituteReceived honorary degree from Women's Medical College of Philadelphia
• 1966 Retired from teaching
• 1967Appointed Phillips Professor of Astronomy, Emeritus Received staff appointment at the Smithsonian Astrophysical ObservatoryAwarded Henry Norris Russell Prize from the American Astronomical Society
• 1974 Planet 1974CA named in her honor
• 1977 Awarded Henry Norris Russell Lectureship from the American Astronomical Society
• 1979Published Stars and clustersDied December 7

1900

Born May 10, Wendover, Buckinghamshire, England

1919-1923

Attended Newnham College at Cambridge University

1923

Started first research at Harvard College Observatory

Elected member of the Royal Astronomical Society

1924

Elected member of American Astronomical Society

1925

Received PhD in astronomy from Radcliffe College

1925-1927

Research Fellow at the Harvard College Observatory

1927-1938

Technical Assistant to Harlow Shapley, Harvard College Observatory

1933

Awarded Annie J. Cannon Prize recognizing the work of exceptional women astronomers (first winner)

1934, March 6

Married Sergei Gaposchkin

1936

Elected member of American Philosophical Society

1938

Appointed Phillips Astronomer at Harvard University

1938

Published Variable Stars

1942

Received honorary degree from Wilson College, Doctor of Science

1943

Elected member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences

1945-1947

President of Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi chapter at Radcliffe College

1948

Appointed Lecturer of Astronomy at Harvard University

1950

Received honorary degree from Cambridge University, Doctor of Science

1951

Received honorary degree from Smith College, Doctor of Science

1952

Presented with Award of Merit from Radcliffe College

1952

Published Stars in the Making

1953

Received honorary degree from Western College for Women, Doctor of Science

1954

Published Variable Stars and Galactic Structure

1956-1966

Professor of Astronomy

1956-1960

Chairperson of the Astronomy Department (first woman department chairperson at Harvard)

1957

Awarded Annual Achievement Award of the American Association of University Women

Published Galactic Novae

1958

Appointed Phillips Professor of Astronomy

Received honorary degree from Colby College

1961

Awarded Rittenhouse Medal from Franklin Institute

Received honorary degree from Women's Medical College of Philadelphia

1966

Retired from teaching

1967

Appointed Phillips Professor of Astronomy, Emeritus

Received staff appointment at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

Awarded Henry Norris Russell Prize from the American Astronomical Society

1974

Planet 1974CA named in her honor

1977

Awarded Henry Norris Russell Lectureship from the American Astronomical Society

1979

Published Stars and clusters

Died December 7