75 years ago, Albert Einstein came to Pittsburgh. He delivered the prestigious J
.W. Gibbs Lecture at Carnegie-Mellon University (or Carnegie Tech, as it was
then known).

Leo Scanlon, co-founder of the Amateur Astronomers' Association of Pittsburgh,
who helped found the original Buhl Planetarium and served as one of the first
two Buhl lecturers (Allegheny Observatory Director Nicholas E. Wagman was the
other original Buhl lecturer), and creator of the world's first all-aluminum
astronomical dome, met Einstein after Einstein accepted Leo's invitation to
visit the amateur astronomy exhibit at the Mellon Institute convention of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science.

David Topper, Professor of the History of Science at the University of Winnipeg
and strong supporter of the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular
Science, will deliver a presentation, using pictures and documents, on the
historical context of Einstein’s special sojourn in Pittsburgh, on the 75th
anniversary of Einstein’s lecture, in the very same hall:

THIS-COMING Monday Afternoon, February 15, 2010
4:30 p.m. EST in Kresge Auditorium, College of Fine Arts, on the Oakland campus
of Carnegie Mellon University.

More info on David Topper's lecture:
< http://www.cmu.edu/uls/february/topper.html >

David Topper's letter of support for historic designation of Buhl Planetarium:
< http://buhlplanetarium4.tripod.com/friendsofthezeiss/HRCnom/support/BuhlDT.htm
>

More info on Leo Scanlon's meeting with Albert Einstein (Einstein's letter
accepting Leo's invitation and photo of Einstein and Leo on lower part of page):
< http://3ap.org/features/leo/leoScanlonBio6.shtml >

More info on Leo Scanlon:
< http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/bio/ScanlonL.htm >

gaw

> ----------------
>
> The University Lecture Series is a partnership between the
> Office of
> the Vice Provost for Education and the Division of Student
> Affairs. All
> lectures are free and open
> to the public. For additional information, please visit the
> ULS website
> at www.cmu.edu/uls/. All lectures are on Carnegie Mellon*s
> Oakland
> campus.
>
> David Topper is Professor, Department of History,
> University of
> Winnipeg
> Monday, February 15, 2010
> 4:30 pm
> Kresge Auditorium, College of Fine Arts
> When Einstein Came to Town
> In late December of 1934, Albert Einstein delivered the
> prestigious J
> .W. Gibbs Lecture
> at Carnegie-Mellon (or Carnegie Tech, as it was then
> known). At the
> time Einstein
> was at the height of his fame, and his presence was the
> highlight of a
> major four-day
> scientific conference. He was front-page news, being
> interviewed by
> reporters and
> photographed extensively. A crowd of a thousand people
> tried to attend
> Einstein*s
> lecture in a theater holding only 400. They wanted to hear
> and see him
> derive his famous equation
> E = mc2 on two small, badly lit, portable blackboards.
> On the 75th anniversary of Einstein*s lecture, in the very
> same hall,
> Professor David Topper
> of the University of Winnipeg will deliver a presentation,
> using
> pictures and documents, on the historical
> context of Einstein*s special sojourn in Pittsburgh.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://friendsofthezeiss.org >
Electronic Mail - < siderostat1989@... >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
  < https://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh:
  < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:
  < http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:
  < http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries:
  < http://andrewcarnegie.tripod.com >
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh:
  < http://incline.pghfree.net >
* Public Transit:
  < http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/transit >