Harrison Shepler Mendenhall, emeritus professor of mathematics at Oklahoma State University, was raised in Dayton, Ohio. After receiving his A.B. in 1924 from Miami University (Ohio), he moved to California as a Lick Observatory fellow, and earned his Ph.D. in astrophysics from Berkeley.

After beginning his teaching career in 1929, he moved to Oklahoma State University in 1937 as an associate professor of mathematics and astronomy.

As OSU’s pioneering astronomer, he expanded the school’s one-semester astronomy curriculum by introducing courses in laboratory astronomy, nautical astronomy, general astronomy, celestial mechanics and astrophysics over the following eight years.

Dr. Mendenhall retired from OSU in 1968 and was honored in 1990 by having an Emeritus Mathematics Faculty scholarship named for him.

Harrison Mendenhall was a wonderful, generous man, who loved sharing his knowledge of the heavens with both young and old alike. His love of astronomy and sense of generosity were the catalyst for the observatory. His vision was that one day, an observatory would rise out of the Oklahoma prairie, and all who dreamed of viewing the stars would have the opportunity. Through the generosity of many, this dream has become a reality as the H.S. Mendenhall Observatory at Oklahoma State University.

For more info, check out: www.physics.okstate.edu/observatory

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