WRIGHT, FREDERICK EUGENE

(b. Marquette, Michigan,16 October 1877; d.Sagastaweka Island,near Gananoque, Ontario, Canadfa, 25August 1953)

Petrology

Wright was the son of Charles Eugene Wright, pioneer geologist of Michigan, and Carolyn Alice Dox. He was awarded the Ph.D. by thew University of Heidelberg in 1900 after work in petrology under Harry Rosenbusch and in crystallography under victor Goldschmidt. Onreturning to America, he spent three years as instrutor at the Michigan College of Mines Houghton, Michigan. About 1905 Wright became associated with the United States Geological Survey and he retained a connection for a dozen years. He was appointed petrologist at the Geophysical Laboratyory of the Carnegie Institution of Washington in 1906, working there until his retirement in 1944 and retaining an office at the Institution until his death.

Wright’s primary scientific contributions were in the development of the petrographic microscope and its applications, improvement of the techniques for the manufacture of high–grade opticalglass during World War I, design and construction of a torsioin gravity meter of high precision for field use (with J.L.Englasnd), and the remote determination of the nature of materials on the surface of the moon by optical methods. His book The Methodos of Petrographic–Microscope Research (1911) greatly influenced the promotion of quantitative measurement of the optical properties of crystals. Similarly, Wright’s reports on the systemetijc measurement of the amount of plane polarization and the relativie spectral intensities of the reflected rays from various regions of the moon’s surface,from which the nature of the materials on the surface were deduced, were pioineer effors.

Wright’s petrological field studies were made in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Alaska, South Africa and the Collumbia River in Washington and Oregon. Gravity surveys were undertaken in colaboration with Vening Meinexzin the Caribbean by means of a submarine and in Guatemala, in an effort to determine the relationship between gravity anomalies and volcanism. Data for his lunar field studies were collected at the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., and the Mt.Wilson Observatory in California

Service to the sciences was performed through Wright’s administrative work in the National Academy of Scienmces (elected 1923) as a vice–president (1927–1931) and as home secretary (1931–1951). He also held high offices in the American Mathematical Society, Geological Society of America, Mineralogical Society of America and Optical Society of America.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Optical studies by Wright are “On the Measurement of Extinction Anglels in the Tghin Sectioin, “in American Journal of Science 4th ser.,26 (1908), 349–390; “The Methods of Petrographic–Microscopic Research: Their Relative Accuracy and Range of Application Publications. Carnegie Institution of Washgington no,158 (1911); “The Formation of Interference Figures A study of the Phenomena Exhibited by Transparent Inactive Crystal Plates in Convergent Polarized Light,” in Journal of the Optical Society of Ameriuca7 (1923), 779–817; and “Computatiion of the optic Axial Angle From the Three Principal Refractive Indicesw,” in American Mineralogist,36 (1951), 543–556.

A work on the glass industry is The Manufacture of Optical Glass and of opticaal Glass and of Optical Systems: A War–time Problem Paper on Optical Glass no. 40, Ordnance Dept. Document no. 2037 (Washington, D.C., 1921).

Field studies include Notes on the Rocks and Minerals of Michigan (Houghton, Mich.,1905); “The Intrusive Rocks of Mount Bohemia. Michigan,” in Annual Report of the Michigan Geological Survey (1908), 361–402; “The Ketchikan and Wrangel Mining Districts,” Bulletin of the United States Geological Surrey no. 347 (1908), written with C. W. Wright; and “The Hot Springs of Iceland,” in Journal of Geology,32 (1924), 462–464.

Works on mineralogy are “Quartz as a Geologic Thermometer,” in American Journal of Science, 4th ser., 27 (1909), 421–447, written with E. S. Larsen; optical studies in G. A. Rankin, “The Ternary System CaO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂,” ibid., 39 (1915), 1–79; and “Afwillite, a New Hydrous Calcium Silicate, From Dutoitspan Mine, Kimberley, South Africa,” inn Mineralogical Magazine,20 (1925), 277–286, written with J. Parry.

Lunar studies include “Polarization of Light Reflected From Rough Surfaces With Special Reference to Light Reflected by the Moon,” in Proceedings of the National Academy of Scieneces of the United States of America,13 (1927), 535–540; and “The Surface of the Moon,” Publications. Carnegie Institution of Washington no. 501 (1938), 59–74.

Writings on gravity are “The Gravity Measuring Cruise of the U. S. Submarine S–21,” in Publications of the United States Naval Observatory, 2nd ser., no. 13 (1930), app. 1. writtern with F. A. vening Meinesz; “An Improved Torsion Gravity Meter,” in American Journal of Science,35A (1938), 373–383, written with J. L. England; and “Gravity Measurements in Guatemala,” in Transactions. American Geophysical Union,22 (1941) 512–515.

H. S. Yoder. Jr.