Georgetown Observatory (Heyden Observatory)

From biodiversity.georgetown.edu:

Father James Curley of the Physics Department at Georgetown College founded the Georgetown Observatory in 1841. He chose a site on the College grounds, planned the building and supervised its construction. Overcoming numerous difficulties and delays, he saw the building finished by 1843.

During the 45 years of Father Curley's Directorship, he kept consistent weather reports. With the cooperation of Sir George Airy, The Astronomer Royal, he determined the exact longitude and latitude of many of the principal buildings in Washington. His determination of the location of Georgetown was so accurate that no correction has been necessary to this very day. In 1888, Father John Hagen, S.J., became director. He was responsible for the installation of the 12-inch equatorial telescope with which for twenty years he observed and gathered data on variable stars. This instrument is still in continuous use. It was Father Hagen who gained for the observatory world-wide recognition in the field of astronomical research.

In 1928, Father Paul A. McNally, S.J. began his term as director. Under his direction the research efforts at Georgetown were focused on solar eclipses. A series of field expeditions began at this time. These were highly successful and contributed significantly to the observatory's growing reputation.

Father Francis J. Heyden, S.J., came to Georgetown in 1945 from the Manila Observatory, and in 1948 assumed directorship of the Observatory here. From that time until the closing of the Astronomy Department in 1971, the fame of the Observatory increased dramatically. The eclipse expeditions were continued with great success, and research in solar and planetary spectroscopy was begun. A graduate program was instituted, growing eventually to be the largest such department in this country.