Lincoln LaPaz

Lincoln LaPaz was an American astronomer and meteoritics pioneer, born in Wichita, Kansas, on February 12, 1897, and later based for much of his career at the University of New Mexico. He studied mathematics at Fairmont College, earned a master’s degree at Harvard, and completed his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago after teaching at Dartmouth and working at Ohio State.

During World War II, he served in research and operations work connected to the New Mexico Proving Ground and the Second Air Force, where his investigations included Japanese Fu-Go balloon bombs. In 1945 he joined the University of New Mexico, founded its Institute of Meteoritics, and led it until 1966, while also serving as head of Mathematics and Astronomy and later director of the university’s Division of Astronomy.

He is best remembered for advancing the scientific study of meteors and meteorites, including work on specimens such as the Lake Murray meteorite. LaPaz is also often mentioned in accounts of mid-century military investigations of unusual aerial phenomena, especially the New Mexico green fireballs, though his lasting reputation rests on his work in astronomy and meteoritics.