Morrison Observatory front
A painting of Morrison Observatory
Old photo of Morrison Observatory
Morrison Observatory in the Winter
Carr Waller Pritchett studies astronomy at Harvard and befriends fellow astronomy student
Asaph Hall. (1)
C.W. Pritchett
Alvan Clark and Sons of Cambridgeport, Mass. buillds a 12 1/4 inch lens. At the time it was the fourth largest telescope in the United States (although it beats out the many scopes tied for 5th place by only 1/4 inch). Alvan Clark uses it on the test stand at the factory to veiw Mimas, the inner most moon of Saturn. An artical about it is published in Volume 29 (1860) of the American Journal of Science titled "Large Object-Glass". (5)
Alvan Clark and his
sons
Carr Waller Pritchett orders an eight inch lens from Alvan Clark for a planned observatory at his Pritchett School Institute in Glasgow, Missouri. (5)
Dr. Pritchett cancels the order due to lack of funds. The finished eight inch lens is sold to the Harvard Observatory and installed in their Meridian Circle. (5)
The U.S. Naval Observatory buys a 26 inch Clark, the largest telescope in the country (the 12 1/4 inch falls to 7th largest where it remains until after it is installed at Morrison Observatory). (5)
Bernice Morrison, while viewing Ceggie's comet with Dr. Pritchett, pledges $100,000 to build an observatory. (1)
Dr. Pritchett delivers $6000 in gold to the Clarks to purchase the 12 1/4 inch lens. (5)
Bernice Morrison
Morrison House
George and Alvan Graham Clark come to Glasgow to mount the new telescope in a dome and building that Dr. Pritchett has modeled after the Harvard Observatory. The Clarks were avid double star observers and enjoyed gaining bragging rights for each new telescope they installed by splitting a new close double with it. The Clark's signature split for the Morrison
telescope was 78 Pegasi. (5)
The 12 1/4 inch Clark telescope
The 12 1/4 inch Clark telescope
The 12 1/4 inch Clark telescope
The memorial plate on the tail of the 12 1/4 inch Clark telescope
George Clark returns to Glasgow to install a 6 inch Meridian Circle built by Troughton & Simms of London. Together with an Alvan Clark built Chronograph this instrument allows the observatory to "sell the time" to the Chicago & Alton Railroad, and to control the dropping of "time balls" in Kansas City and St Louis. (1)
The 6 inch Transit telescope
Memorial plaque on the 6 inch telescopes tail
Dr. Pritchett studies the "Great Red Spot" on Jupiter and is made a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society for his reports. In the same year, his friend Asaph Hall, using the 26 inch Alvan Clark refractor at the U.S. Naval Observatory, discovers the moons of Mars. (3)
Dr. Pritchett's drawings of the "Great Red Spot" in 1878
Asaph Hall comes to Morrison Observatory for a reunion with Dr. Pritchett and to use the Clark built lighted filar micrometer on the 12 1/4 inch to measure the orbits of the Martian moons (this was considered a remarkable feat for an instrument of this aperture). (2,3,5)
The observatory in the late 1800's
The astronomer's residence is in the foreground
The observatory purchases a 4 inch Clark refractor with transport case and tripods for expeditions to observe transits and eclipses. (5)
A second 4 inch Clark refractor is purchased. (5)
4 inch Clark telescopes
The tail on the 1880 Clark telescope
The tail on the 1882 Clark telescope
Alvan Clark and Sons build the 36 inch Lick refractor. (5)
Alvan Clark and Sons build the 40 inch Yerkes refractor, to this day the world's largest refracting telescope. (5)
The Alvan Clark and Sons 40 inch Yerkes refracting telescope
Carr Waller Pritchett resigns as observatory director due to failing health. His work is carried on by his sons, Henry, and Carr Jr., but within a short time the poor financial condition of the Pritchett School Institute causes the observatory to be virtually abandoned. (1)
Carr Waller Pritchett dies. (3)
Robert Baker and Vice President Rollins of the University of Missouri in Columbia negotiate with Mrs.Bernice Morrison-Fuller for the purchase of Morrison Observatory. The transfer never occurs for reasons unknown. (4)
Pritchett School Institute closes. The two trusts set up by Bernice Morrison for the observatory are diverted to the Glasgow Public Schools. (4)
The observatory has deteriorated to the point where chickens are roosting in the dome and wasp nests are on both side of the great 12 1/4 inch Clark lens. (3) The State of Missouri sues Glasgow on behalf of Central College in Fayette for possession of the observatory and the Morrison trust money. (4)
Robert Fleet becomes director of the observatory (1944) (2)
Robert Fleet
Henry Pritchett leads a drive to raise funds to build a new observatory building in Fayette. The original dome is cut in half and trucked to the new location where it is reassembled. (3)
The observatory in Glasgow after removal of the dome
On June 1st, Dr. Harlow Shapley, a UMC graduate and director of the Harvard Observatory, is the dedication speaker at the new Morrison Observatory. (1)
Richard Fawcett becomes director of the observatory. (1964)
E.S. Hayes of the UMC Laws Observatory and Richard Fawcett of Morrison Observatory for the Central Missouri Amateur Astronomers (CMAA). The first meetings are held in the Morrison Observatory classroom. (4)
Harry Brown and Bill Schoening disassemble and clean the objective lens of the Clark telescope. The process is followed step by step in the August issue of Sky and Telescope magazine. (2)
Cleaning of the mighty Clark
Separating the lens elements
The 12 1/4 inch Clark during the 1961 restoration.
The Central Missouri Amateur Astronomers build a roll-off roof structure housing a 12 inch reflector on the Morrison grounds. (1)
The roll-off roof structure on Morrison's grounds.
Harry Brown with the 12 inch reflecting telescope
Dr. John E. Merrill becomes observatory director. (1970)
David R. Brown becomes observatory director. (1979)
CMAA hosts the 25th annual convention of the Mid-States Region of the Astronomical league at Fayette during the 100th anniversary of the Morrison Observatory. (1)
Dr. Larry Peery becomes director of the observatory. (present) (6)
A new round of restorations is undertaken with the combined efforts of the United Methodist Nomads, Central Methodist College students, and faculty, and the Central Missouri Astronomical Association (CMAA). Public nights in the Spring and Fall attracts scores of viewers. In May CMAA members use the 12 1/4 inch Clark telescope on the night of Mars opposition for some memorable viewing. In June CMAA hosted the Mid-States Regional Convention of the Astronomical League, with a wonderful review of the observatory in the August issue of the Astronomy League's Reflector (the article was written by Jackie Wade). And in September, the Central Missouri Astronomical Association held it's 50th anniversary meeting in the same Morrison Observatory classroom where it was formed.
Morrison Observatory celebrates 125 years of astronomy. The observatory remains a great resource of Central Methodist College and for the Mid-Missouri public. With the addition of a computer guided Schmidt-Cassigrain telescope and CCD imaging technology, this 19th century observatory is prepared to explore astronomy in the 21st century.
The 10 inch Meade computerized telescope
(1) Brown, David R., "The Story of Morrison Observatory" (a trifold flyer for the 25th annual convention of the Mid-States Region of the Astronomical League, (1975)
(2) Cox, Robert E., "Gleanings for ATM's, Cleaning the Lens of a 12 1/4 inch Refractor" (Sky and Telescope Magazine, August 1961)
(3) Germann, Val, "Carr Waller Pritchett and the Morrison Observatory" (Central Missouri Astronomical Association newsletter, August, 1998)
(4) Peterson, Charles J., "Missouri Physics & Astronomy, 150 years of two sciences at the University of Missouri - Columbia" (1995)
(5) Warner, Deborah Jean and Robert B. Arial, "Alvan Clark & Sons, Artists in Optics" (Willman-Bell, Inc., 1996)
(6) Wiese-Fales, Jan, "Exploring Outer Darkness" (The Talon, Magazine of Central Methodist College, Winter/Spring, 1999)
With special thanks to Dr. Larry Peery, Professor of Physics CMC, and director of Morrison Observatory.
Another special thanks to Ralph Dumas Central Missouri Astronomical Association for authoring this page.
