In Search of: John Edwards

"... One thing that helped me greatly was the free access which I had to the Ladd Observatory of Brown University—an unusual privilege for a kid, but made possible because Prof. Upton—head of the college astronomical department and director of the observatory—was a friend of the family. I suppose I pestered the people at the observatory half to death, but they were very kind about it. I had a chance to see all the standard modern equipment of an observatory (including a 12" telescope) in action, and read endlessly in the observatory library. The professors and their humbler assistant—an affable little cockney from England name John Edwards—often helped me pick up equipment, and Edwards made me some magnificent photographic lantern-slides (from illustrations in books) which I used in giving illustrated astronomical lectures before clubs." (to Duane Rimel, 29 March 1934)

"I used to haunt this observatory 30 years ago — the director and his two assistants (all dead now — save one asst. now at Wesleyan U. in Middletown, Conn.) being infinitely tolerant of a pompous juvenile ass with grandiose astronomical ambitions!"(to Robert H. Barlow, 23 July 1936)


Evening Tribune - Sep 29, 1915 page 5

"John Edwards, for 20 years assistant at the Ladd Observatory, Brown University, will soon leave to take charge of the field and routine work at the Van Vleck Observatory of Wesleyan University."