James G. Baker
| James Gilbert Baker | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | November 11, 1914 Louisville, Kentucky |
| Died | June 29, 2005 (aged 90) Bedford, New Hampshire |
| Nationality | USA |
| Education | B.A. University of Louisville (Mathematics, 1935) M.S. Harvard University (Astronomy, 1936) Ph.D. Harvard University (1942, Astronomy) |
| Alma mater | University of Louisville |
| Occupation | Astronomer, lens designer, professor |
| Known for | optical systems |
| Awards |
Magellanic Premium (1952) Elliott Cresson Medal (1962) SPIE Gold Medal (1978) |
James Gilbert Baker (November 11, 1914 – June 29, 2005) was an American astronomer and designer of optics systems.
He was born in Louisville, Kentucky to Jesse B. Baker and Hattie M. Stallard, the fourth child of that couple. He attended Louisville duPont Manual High School then majored in mathematics at the University of Louisville. During his time at the university he became interested in astronomy and grinding his own mirrors. In 1931 he helped to form the Louisville Astronomical Society. He graduated with a B.A. in 1935.
He met his future wife, Elizabeth Katherine Breitenstein, while at the university.
Pursuing his interest in astronomy, he studied at the Harvard College Observatory. He earned his M.A. in 1936, gained an appointment as a Junior Fellow of the Harvard Society from 1937 until 1943. It was in 1940 that he developed the Baker-Schmidt telescope, a modification of the schmidt camera. In 1942 he was awarded his Ph.D. in astronomy and astrophysics from Harvard University.
After the start of World War II, he was recruited to be a civilian optical designer for the Army's newly formed aerial reconnaissance branch under Colonel George W. Goddard. He would design wide-angle camera systems and test them in unpressurized compartments during test flights. He also became a consultant for the Perkin Elmer Corporation. Following the war he then became an advisor for the Air Force Photographic Laboratory.
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