Charles Hugh Smiley (1903-1977)
During late summer of 1930, a 27-year old PhD with a major in mathematics and a minor in astronomy came to Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Originally hired as an assistant professor of mathematics, this young man was soon asked to assist in teaching astronomy. In 1931-1932 he took advantage of the astronomical facility at Ladd Observatory (which to this day still houses a 12-inch Brashear refractor) to host a series of open houses. These well attended events attracted a great many folks who had similar interests in things astronomical, including not only members of the general public, but also students from this assistant professor’s extension courses.
Encouraged by the response, our young professor, Charles Hugh Smiley, invited a number of people who shared an interest in astronomy to Ladd Observatory to discuss the organization of a group called the Rhode Island Amateur Astronomers.
On May 5, 1932, the first meeting of this new society occurred at Ladd Observatory in Providence, where they elected officers, defined the purpose of the organization, set the dues at $2 per year, set the monthly schedule of meetings and formed both a membership and a program committee. It was also at this momentous occasion that the name “The Skyscrapers,” was suggested, and later adding Amateur Astronomical Society of Rhode Island to it. And according to those present, “It was considered one of the most appropriate names ever to have been chosen by any astronomical club in the country.”
Soon the Skyscrapers joined Professor Smiley in solar eclipse expeditions throughout the world. Skyscrapers built a 4-inch f/1 Schmidt camera that was used for the June 8, 1937 eclipse in Peru. With what was then the fastest astronomical camera ever constructed, Smiley successfully photographed the total solar eclipse and also managed to capture the cone-shaped zodiacal light.
In preparation for the total solar eclipse of October 1, 1940, in Curema, Brazil, Smiley designed a 12-inch, f/3.5 Schwarzschild camera, only the second one of its kind in the world. Once again a dedicated team of Skyscrapers members fabricated this instrument. Its three degree field of view was required for Smiley to photograph the Sun’s outer corona and hopefully to verify the zodiacal light photograph captured with the Schmidt camera back in 1937.
Unfortunately clouds prevented the group from any observations.
By the time of his passing in 1977, Smiley was a veteran of 16 total/annular eclipse expeditions. Smiley also traveled extensively to perform atmospheric refraction measurements from high latitudes and from distant mountaintops. Skyscrapers members accompanied him on many of these expeditions as well.
Professor Smiley also had a fascination with the astronomical knowledge of the Mayan, and he and Skyscrapers spent many long hours recording precise measurements and astronomical data to correlate the Mayan and Christian calendars.
