Wertha Pendleton Cole
American astronomer (1891–1959)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wertha Pendleton Cole (January 18, 1891 – January 1, 1959) was an American educational administrator and astronomer.[1]
University of Virginia
Wertha Pendleton Cole | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | January 18, 1891 |
| Died | January 1, 1959 (aged 67) |
| Education | Columbia University (1914) University of Virginia |
| Occupation | Dean of Women from 1943 to 1958 |
| Employer | Bryn Athyn College |
| Spouse | Robert MacFarlan Cole III |
| Children | William P. Cole Dandridge M. Cole Aubrey Cole Odhner Robert H. P. Cole |
| Parent(s) | William Frederic Pendleton Mary Lawson Young |
Biography
She was born on January 18, 1891, to William Frederic Pendleton. He was the founding bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem.[2] She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Columbia University in 1914.[1] As part of her graduate work at the University of Virginia, in 1917-1918, she did parallax observations for Prof. Samuel Alfred Mitchell at the McCormick Observatory.[1] She was the Dean of Women at Bryn Athyn College from 1943 to 1958 and also headed the astronomy department.[1][3] She organized the Bryn Athyn team for Operation Moonwatch[3] explaining: "I wanted to do something practical for the International Geophysical Year. I felt this was the best way to help."[4][5] She was a member of the Rittenhouse Astronomical Society from 1935 to 1959, serving as its secretary 1950-1951.
She died on January 1, 1959.
Family
Her husband Robert MacFarlan Cole III was a chemist, and one of her sons, Dandridge M. Cole, was a space rocket designer.[3][6][7]
Publications
- "Ancient Astronomy and Astrology," The Journal of Education, 1931, 27-35.
- "Swedenborg's Work on the Longitude," The New Philosophy, 1933, 169-178.
