Cleveland AbbeBorn 3 Dec 1838; died 28 Oct 1916 at age 77. American meteorologist, inventor and astronomer, who as America's first professional meteorologist is regarded as the “father of the U.S. Weather Bureau” (later renamed the National Weather Service). In 1867, he made an early evaluation of the Magellanic Clouds. On 1 Sep 1869, Abbe began with his own private weather reporting and warning service at Cincinnati, Ohio, issuing bulletins of his weather reports. Shortly thereafter, on 9 Feb 1870, Congress authorized the Weather Service of the United States, under the direction of the Signal Service. At that time, Abbe was the only person in the nation with experience in gathering telegraphic reports and using them to draw weather maps and make forecasts. Consequently, Abbe was offered a leading position in this new service. He accepted, and on 3 Jan 1871 became the official weather forecaster.« |
