George Comstock (astronomer)

Biography

George Comstock was the eldest child of Charles Henry Comstock and Mercy Bronson, born in Madison, Wisconsin. After earning a Ph.B. from the University of Michigan in 1877, he worked for the U.S. Lake Survey and then a Mississippi River improvement project. In 1879 he became assistant director of Washburn Observatory. During free time he studied law, graduating from Wisconsin law school and being admitted to the Wisconsin bar in 1883, though he never practiced. He was appointed professor at Ohio State University in 1887, teaching mathematics and astronomy while also directing Washburn Observatory. He married Esther Cecile Everett on June 12, 1894; they had a daughter. Comstock helped organize the American Astronomical Society in 1897, serving as secretary and later vice president. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1899. In 1904 he became first chair of the University of Wisconsin graduate school, later Dean, holding that position until 1920. He retired in 1922 as Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and became president of the American Astronomical Society in 1925. He wrote textbooks and scientific articles. The lunar crater Comstock is named after him. He died in Madison on May 11, 1934, and was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery.