Dorothea Klumpke Roberts

American astronomer, Dorothea Klumpke Roberts (1861-1942).

Dorothea Klumpke was born in August 1861 in San Francisco, California. At the time, San Francisco was an up-and-coming city, but the educational advantages that it offered beyond the elementary courses didn't really compare with those available in older communities in the United States or with those available in Western Europe. Dorothea's parents wanted all their children to have the best education and opportunities possible. They held the view (unpopular at the time) that their daughters as well as their son should have equal opportunities to develop their unique skills. Thus, the Klumpkes placed their children in schools abroad - first in Germany and later in France. In doing so, all the Klumpke children would later have distinguished careers (from artist to physician to musician to astronomer).

After passing all of her examinations with distinction, Dorothea was admitted to the University of Paris, where she focused her studies on mathematics and mathematical astronomy. She later became this university's first woman to receive the degree docteur ès sciences. After graduating, Dorothea became an attaché at the Paris Observatory, working on determining the locations of stars using photographic plates.

The Paris Observatory in 1680, as seen from the south.

In April 1887, the International Congress of Astronomers, made up of 56 delegates from 17 nationalities, convened in Paris to consider an international collaboration to compile a massive photographic star chart (the Carte du Ciel). The proposal was accepted, and the Paris Observatory agreed to photograph all stars to the 14th magnitude (note: the higher a star's magnitude, the fainter it appears) in a broad region across the sky and to prepare the corresponding charts for the Carte du Ciel. The Paris Observatory was also tasked with making a catalog of all stars to the 11th magnitude appearing on the photographic plates. To help with these projects, a special Bureau of Measurements was developed at the Paris Observatory, and Dorothea was its director.

The supervision of this work consumed a majority of Dorothea's time and energy, but she was still able to support the French astronomical societies. Her work was held in such a high regard that in 1889, the Société Astronomique de France awarded her the society's first Prix des Dames, and in 1893, the Paris Academy of Sciences elected her Officier d'Académie.

In 1901, Dorothea married the British amateur astronomer Isaac Roberts, a pioneer in the work of astrophotography. He had built an observatory at his home in Wales in the 1880's, and he and Dorothea used it to photograph and study various astronomical objects.

In 1934, Dorothea was elected Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (the highest decoration in France) in recognition of 48 years of work in astronomy. By then over 70 years old, Dorothea retired and with her sister, Anna, moved back to San Francisco. Even though she was retired, Dorothea kept up on the latest astronomical discoveries and was incredibly eager to give back. She endowed several prizes through the Paris Observatory, the Société Astronomique de France, and the University of California; these were for undergraduate students in astronomy or mathematics and for young astronomers. Her gift to the Astronomical Society of the Pacific established the Klumpke-Roberts Lecture Fund, named in honor of her parents and husband. Another large sum was left to the American Astronomical Society. With her continuing devotion to the astronomical community even after retirement, it is obvious that Dorothea cared about the future of this field.