NEW YORK, NY, August 31, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to name Dr. Helmut Abt a Lifetime Achiever. An accomplished listee, Dr. Abt celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Dr. Abt is an astronomer who has paved the way for others in his field. He was the first student to graduate from the California Institute of Technology with a PhD in astronomy. He studied stellar binary systems, stellar rotations, and various other topics related to stellar spectroscopy. He also helped to establish the Kitt Peak National Observatory. Dr. Abt's contributions to specific scholarly titles, such as The Astrophysics Journal and the astronomical field as a whole are immense and varied.
The youngest son of Karl M. and Margaret S. (Simon) Abt, Dr. Abt was born on May 26, 1925 in Helmstedt, Germany. In 1927, his family immigrated to the United States and was supported by his father, a skilled furniture designer. Dr. Abt recalls that although his father struggled at first with the English language and American culture, he worked tirelessly to service his growing customer base. Dr. Abt's mother, supported by a similar drive for success, attained a liberal arts degree and attended secretarial school where she learned the skills necessary to become a stenographer and accountant.
Dr. Abt studied at Northwestern University and received a Bachelor of Science in mathematics. He remained at the university to achieve a master's degree. In 1948, he graduated with a Master of Science in physics. Dr. Abt went on to attend the California Institute of Technology, where he was the first student to receive a PhD in astronomy. He graduated in 1952, and thereafter played a pivotal role in launching Kitt Peak National Observatory, which is an American astronomical observatory site located on Kitt Peak on the Quinlan Mountains in the Arizona-Sonoran Desert. The location, which is administered to by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, has a large, diverse collection of astronomical instruments, including 24 optical and two radio telescopes.
Dr. Abt notes he opted for astronomy as a vocation, because, rather simply, it was fun. He explained, "Math was easy, physics was fun, and astronomy was more fun." It can therefore be assumed that Dr. Abt has had fun throughout his long and successful career. He first worked as a junior research astronomer for Lick Observatory at the University of California, Mount Hamilton. Afterward, he was an assistant professor and research assistant at Yerkes Observatory at the University of Chicago, Williams Bay. He held this position from 1953 to 1959. After helping to establish the Kitt Peak National Observatory, Dr. Abt became its astronomer in 1959. To this day, he continues to his work and research there.
In addition to his scholastic achievements, Dr. Abt received the Van Viesbroack Prize in 1997. Just a year earlier in 1996, Spacewatch discovered a stony asteroid, which was named 9423 Abt in honor of Dr. Abt -- an experience that Dr. Abt considers exceptionally rewarding. For his professional efforts, he was featured in the 3rd edition of Who's Who in Science and Engineering.
Dr. Abt described his work as the managing editor of The Astrophysical Journal to be a highlight of his career. In fact, he was managing editor for 29 years, from 1971 to 2000. Further, he has contributed to various other professional journals, and authored five books and 300 other publications, including Bibliography of Stellar Radial Velocities, in 1972. When Dr. Abt is not hard at work, he enjoys hobbies, such as music, reading, traveling, and Chinese art.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Dr. Abt has been featured on the Marquis Who's Who Lifetime Achievers website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America , Marquis Who's Who has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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