John Farrar (scientist)

Infobox Scientist
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name = John Farrar


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birth_date = birth date|1779|7|1
birth_place = Lincoln, Massachusetts
death_date = death date and age|1853|5|8|1779|7|1
death_place = Cambridge, Massachusetts
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nationality = flag|United States
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fields = Mathematics, Philosophy
workplaces = Harvard College
alma_mater = Harvard
Andover
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John Farrar (July 1, 1779 – May 8, 1853) was an American scholar. He first coined the concept of hurricanes as “a moving vortex and not the rushing forward of a great body of the atmosphere”, after the Great September Gale of 1815. [Norcross (2007). p. 96.] Fitzpatrick (2005). p. 108] Farrar remained Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at Harvard University between 1807 and 1836. During this time, he introduced modern mathematics into the curriculum. He was also a regular contributor to the scientific journals.

Life and works

A 1803 Harvard graduate, Farrar also studied theology at Andover, and in 1805 was appointed Greek tutor at Harvard. Farrar was chosen Hollis Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in 1807. [Elliott and Rossiter (1992). p. 338] He retained the chair till 1836, when he resigned in consequence of a painful illness that finally caused his death. His second wife, Eliza Farrar (née Ware) was a Flemish. She married him in 1828. She authored several children's books.

Farrar maintained weather records between 1807-1817 at Cambridge, Massachusetts. For the 23 September 1815 hurricane, he particularly noted the shape as "a moving vortex" . He also observed the veering of the wind, and its different times of subsequent impacts on the cities of Boston and New York. [Ludlum (1963)]

In 1815, Farrar made efforts to build an observatory at Harvard. However, despite of continuing efforts, the project failed to take off due to lack of funds. [Elliott and Rossiter (1992). p. 40] In his capacity as Hollis Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, he reformulated the mathematical curriculum and introduced modern mathemtics. He prepared the Cambridge mathematical series. He was also the first to translate mathematical works from European languages to make them available for American undergraduates. [Elliott and Rossiter (1992). p. 57] He published a translation of Lacroix's "Elements of Algebra" (1818), which he followed by selections from Legendre, Blot, Bezant, and others. Harvard, the U.S. military academy, and other institutions at once adopted these works as textbooks. He regularly wrote for the scientific journals "North American Review" and "Memoirs" of the American academy.

Notes

References

*cite journal |last=Coolidge |first=J. L. |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1943 |month= |title=Three Hundred Years of Mathematics at Harvard |journal=American Mathematical Monthly |volume=50 |issue=6 |pages=347–356 |doi=10.2307/2303706 |url= |accessdate= |quote=
* Elliott, C.A. and Rossiter, M.W. (1992). Science at Harvard University: Historical Perspectives. Lehigh University Press. ISBN 0934223122.
* Fitzpatrick, P.J. (2005). "Hurricanes: A Reference Handbook". ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1851096477
* Ludlum, David M. (1963). "Early American Hurricanes, 1492-1870, The History of American Weather". Boston: American Meteorological Society.
* Norcross, B. (2007). "Hurricane Almanac: The Essential Guide to Storms Past, Present, and Future". Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 0312371527
*cite journal |last=Schlesinger |first=Elizabeth Bancroft |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1965 |month= |title=Two Early Harvard Wives: Eliza Farrar and Eliza Follen |journal=New England Quarterly |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=147–167 |doi=10.2307/363587 |url= |accessdate= |quote=
*cite journal |last=Varney |first=B. M. |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1908 |month= |title=Early Meteorology at Harvard College |journal=Monthly Weather Review |volume=36 |issue=5 |pages=140–142 |doi=10.1175/1520-0493(1908)36<140:EMAHC>2.0.CO;2 |url= |accessdate= |quote=

External links

* [http://www.math.harvard.edu/history/farrar/index.html Official website] at Harvard
* Farrar, John. (1827) " [http://www.math.harvard.edu/history/farrar_astronomy/index.html An elementary treatise of Astronomy.] " Printed by Hilliard, Metcalf and Co, Boston, 1827