author
Thomas C. (Thomas Corwin) Mendenhall
1841–1924
A self-taught scientist with a gift for teaching, he helped shape American physics and meteorology in the late 19th century. His work ranged from gravity measurements to the push for metric standards in the United States.
1 Audiobook
![Twenty Unsettled Miles in the Northeast Boundary [From the Report of the Council of the American Antiquarian Society, presented at the Annual Meeting held in Worcester, October 21, 1896]](https://listenly.io/api/img/6638c7fa972dc5c80ef77d64/cover.jpg)
About the author
Born in Hanoverton, Ohio, in 1841, Thomas Corwin Mendenhall became known as an American physicist and meteorologist despite largely building his scientific career through his own study. He taught from a young age, was associated with Ohio State University from its earliest years, and went on to hold important posts in American science.
Mendenhall worked in both research and public service. He is remembered for studies of gravity, for his work in meteorology, and for leading the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1889 to 1894. He also played a notable part in the history of measurement in the United States through the 1893 order that tied American standards of length and mass to metric standards.
His career also included teaching in Japan and later service as president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. By the time of his death in 1924, he had earned a reputation as one of the broad-minded scientific figures of his era, combining practical administration with a deep interest in precision and education.