Woman in Science: With an Introductory Chapter on Woman's Long Struggle for Things of the MindZahm, J. A. (John Augustine)
HistoryChristian
Woman in Science: With an Introductory Chapter on Woman's Long Struggle for Things of the Mind
Zahm, J. A. (John Augustine)
Women -- History; Women scientists
"Miss Herschel it was who by right acted as his amanuensis; she it was
whose pen conveyed to paper his observations as they issued from his
lips; she it was who noted the right ascensions and polar distances of
the objects observed; she it was who, having passed the night near the
instrument, took the rough manuscripts to her cottage at the dawn of day
and produced a fair copy of the night's work on the following morning;
she it was who planned the labor of each succeeding night; she it was
who reduced every observation, made every calculation; she it was who
arranged everything in systematic order; and she it was who helped him
to obtain his imperishable name."[147]
Besides this gold medal from the Royal Astronomical Society, Miss
Herschel also received two others, one from the King of Denmark and the
other from the King of Prussia. The latter was accompanied by a most
eulogistic letter from Alexander von Humboldt, who informed her that the
medal was awarded her "in recognition of the valuable services rendered
by her as the fellow worker of her immortal brother, Sir William
Herschel, by discoveries, observations and laborious calculations."
In 1835, when she was eighty-five years of age, Miss Herschel had the
signal honor of being elected, along with Mrs. Somerville, an honorary
member of the Royal Astronomical Society. As they were the first two
women in England to receive such recognition for their contributions to
science, it seems desirable to reproduce here an extract from the report
of the council of the society regarding the bestowal of an honor which
marked so distinct a change in England of the attitude that should be
taken toward women who excelled in intellectual achievements. The
extract reads as follows:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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