Leah Allen

Leah Brown Allen (November 6, 1884 – February 1973) was an American astronomer. Allen was Professor of Astronomy and Director of Williams Observatory at Hood College.

Leah Allen
The Crocker eclipse expedition. Allen is third from the right.
Born	(1884-11-06)November 6, 1884 Providence, Rhode Island
Died	February 1973(1973-02-00) (aged 88) Frederick,Maryland
Scientific career
Fields	astronomy
Institutions	Lick Observatory, Wellesley College, Hood College
Academic advisors	Winslow Upton
Notes
[1][2]

Education and career

She attended Hope High School in Providence, graduating in 1903. She then studied at Pembroke College in Brown University, 1904–1906, where she did special work in astronomy^[a] under Professor Winslow Upton, director of Ladd Observatory.^[4] She received an A.B. degree in 1907.^[5] Allen joined Lick Observatory as Carnegie Assistant in 1908 after a recommendation by Upton.^[4] At Lick her work involved "...duties in the measurement and reduction of spectrograms."^[6] She received her M.A. from Wellesley College in 1912.^[7] Her thesis was a spectroscopic study of the star Eta Centauri. Allen participated in Lick Observatory's Crocker expedition to view the total Solar eclipse of June 8, 1918 at Goldendale, Washington.^[8] She was an assistant professor of astronomy at Wellesly, along with Lois Tripp Slocum, in the early 1920s.^[9] She was affiliated with the Whitin Observatory at Wellesley.^[10] Allen began teaching astronomy at Hood in 1928.^[11] She was director of the John H. Williams Observatory at Hood.^[12] She gave lectures at amateur astronomy groups.^[13] She retired from teaching in 1955.^[14]

Personal life

Allen was the daughter of Samuel F. Allen, who had been described as a "veteran balloonist."^[15] Her mother was Abby L. Allen.^[1]

She enjoyed sailing from the time that she was in college. Her sister considered her an expert at handling her sailboat in inclement weather.^[4]

She became active in the women's suffrage movement after reading a speech by her sister, called “Why Women Should Be Given the Vote.” She was an advocate of voting rights and played a role in earning women the right to vote in Rhode Island.^[11]

Awards and honors

The following prizes are named in her honor:

• Leah B. Allen Award for Excellence in Math and Science, Hood College
• Leah B. Allen Prize in Astronomy, Hood College

Allen was a member of the following societies:

• American Astronomical Society^[16]
• American Association of Variable Star Observers, Charter Member^[17][18]

Correspondents

• Annie Jump Cannon^[19]
• William F. Meggers^[20]

Publications

• Allen, Leah B. "Study of η Centauri" (1911) [Manuscript]. Project PHAEDRA: Preserving Harvard's Early Data and Research in Astronomy, ID: KG11365.685, pp. 1–50. Harvard College Observatory.
• Allen, Leah B. (1912). A study of the peculiar spectrum of the star Eta Centauri (Masters thesis). Wellesley College. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
• Allen, Leah B (October 1918). "Absorption lines in the spectrum of Nova Aquilae, No. 3". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 30 (177): 308–310. Bibcode:1918PASP...30..308A. doi:10.1086/122760. JSTOR 40710143. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
• Allen, Leah B. (1923). "Notes from 'The stone of the sun and the first chapter of the history of Mexico'". Popular Astronomy. 31 (640): 640–641. Bibcode:1923PA.....31..640A. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
• Allen, Leah B. (1925). "The radial velocities of twenty southern variable stars of class Me". Lick Observatory Bulletin. 369: 71–73. Bibcode:1925LicOB..12...71A. doi:10.5479/ADS/bib/1925LicOB.12.71A. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
• Duncan, John C.; Allen, Leah B. (1927). "A new celestial globe for the use of students". Publications of the American Astronomical Society. 5: 145–146. Bibcode:1927PAAS....5..145D. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
• Allen, Leah B.; Marsh, Franklin F. (August 1932). "Photographic light curves of RR Leonia and V Leonis Minoris". Harvard College Observatory Bulletin. 888: 19–22. Bibcode:1932BHarO.888...19A. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
• Shapley, Harlow; Allen, Leah B.; Greenstein, Naomi (August 1954). "New variable stars in Centaurus". Astronomical Journal. 59 (1219): 270–271. Bibcode:1954AJ.....59..270S. doi:10.1086/107011. Retrieved 22 February 2025.

Notes

1. Upton taught an astronomy class called Research Course which was described as "Special advanced work. Subjects arranged to meet the requirements of individual students. Elective for Graduates and approved Undergraduates."^[3]