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Anna Estelle Glancy

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Anna Estelle Glancy
Born(1883-10-29)29 October 1883
Died19 May 1975(1975-05-19) (aged 91)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of California, Berkeley
Known forContribution to lens design
Scientific career
Fields

Anna Estelle Glancy (20 October 1883 – 19 May 1975)

Hailed as the only professional female lens designer during her entire career, Dr. Anna Estelle Glancy was a female research scientist and mathematician, whose contribution to the world of science involved multiple patients and published papers, many of which were studied at universities. Through her background and knowledge of mathematics, Glancy became a catalyst for the innovations of others, having laid the foundation for further improvements in vision correction.

At the time of her death in 1975 at age 91, Glancy had been retired for almost a quarter of a century. Her research had become widely accepted in advancing eyeglasses to their present state and additionally had created a multidisciplinary portfolio by designing lenses for cameras, telescopes, eye-examining and military optical instruments.

Education and early work

Glancy graduated from Waltham High School in 1901, and received her bachelor of arts degree (major in mathematics) from Wellesley College in 1905.[1][2]

After college, Glancy accepted an appointment in the Berkeley Astronomical Department of the University of California where an opportunity to study for her PhD in astronomy was provided.[3]

During this time she was Watson assistant, engaged in computing the orbits of the Watson asteroids.[4] Part of this time she also held a fellowship at the Lick Observatory where, in addition to her observational work, she studied celestial mechanics under Dr. Leuschner.[3][4]

In 1913, after completing seven years at the University of California, Anna Estelle Glancy took her doctorate in astronomy along with five others, one of whom was her roommate and close friend, Phoebe Waterman[2][3][5].

Waterman encouraged Glancy to get jobs together at the same observatory so they appealed to Dr. Perrine who was the American Director of the Argentine National Observatory at Cordoba[5]. The result was positive and they both started in the fall of 1913.

Glancy accepted a position as assistant astronomer, where her work was mainly observations of the heavens, keeping track of comets, and the impressive juggling of light years in mathematical form that star-gazers indulge in.[2]

Following five years in Argentina, Glancy returned to the U.S. in 1918 to offer her services in the First World War.[3] Her talents as a mathematician were promptly employed by the American Optical Company which was then engaged in producing military optical equipment that required complex mathematical computations.

Academic career (optics)

Beginning a career in optics at the American Optical Company in 1918, Glancy's immediate superior was Dr. E. D. Tillyer, a widely known and acknowledged leader in the physical sciences and lens design.[5] Because he was formerly an Astronomer, they had a common understanding.

Dr. Glancy's research in gun sight computation was still incomplete upon the conclusion of the First World War in 1918, However unknowingly to Glancy, these mathematical equations would form the basis for the fundamental calculations of the well-known Tillyer spectacle lens.[5]

Dr. Glancy concentrated her focus the intricate and repetitive calculations on which the Tillyer corrected ophthalmic lens is based,[3] consuming the larger part of ten years once the war had ended. This major project which no company other than the American Optical Company was ready to undertake.[5] contributed the most significant advancement towards vision correction in the 1920's. The Tillyer lens corrected two different types of errors, controlled carefully within calculated limits. For the first time a lens managed to correct both the astigmatic errors for oblique angles of view and power errors which destroyed visual acuity.[6] Dr. Glancy's advanced mathematical knowledge helped improve the field of optics which millions of consumers benefited from.[7]

In eyewear, Glancy anticipated many innovations long before they entered the marketplace. She filed a patent on progressive lenses in 1923—a half century before these became widely accepted as a superior alternative to bifocals and trifocals (American Optical Corp, 1924). She also developed the first lensometer in 1927 to measure the power of a spectacle lens, now a standard piece of equipment in optical dispensaries (American Optical Corp, 1929).

During the Second World War, new optical devices incorporated "aspheric" lenses to increase the light gathering power.[5] This lens had been initially designed for astronomical use, so again Dr. Glancy undertook research on this new branch of optics.

After the Second World War, television surged forward on the strength of what had been accomplished under the stress of war. Television optics also requires the use of "aspheric" lenses, and the American Optical Company took a leading part in the early experimentation.[5] Dr. Glancy found the earlier theoretical work limited in scope, so worked to develop the theory for the general case. This mathematical theory was published in the Journal of the Optical Society.[5]

More than three decades after joining the research team at American Optical, Glancy was still the only woman in her field.[7] By then she had evolved beyond a pioneering woman in science, but became a catalyst for the innovations of others as her papers were studied at universities, her patents helped develop the advancements in the field of optics and her knowledge laid the foundation for further improvements in vision correction for millions of people.[3][7]

But Dr. Glancy's innovations extended beyond eyewear. She developed a revolutionary camera lens which permitted a larger aperture ratio to be made with smaller aberrations. The resulting discovery implying that faster and more powerful camera lenses were possible.[8] This project, requiring 200 pages of handwritten calculations, helped photographers take sharper, clearer pictures.[2] Experts in the field of television utilized her research to create larger screens while her work also contributed to advancements in telescopes, eye exam equipment and military optics which all employed the same base mathematical equations.

Glancy applied her knowledge in the field of optical science with numerous excursions into her earlier work of astronomy. Glancy attributed much of her success to being blessed with inspiring leadership in all her astronomical and optical pursuits.[5]

Another important factor in her career was progressive deafness. The forced aloneness which deafness imposed was compensated in part by freedom from distraction and the ability to concentrate.[5]

Retirement

Glancy retired from her optical research position with the American Optical Company in the fall of 1950.[9] During her 32 years with American optical, Glancy designed lenses for eyeglasses, microscopes, cameras and television. She was one of the world's few lens designers.[1]

Personal interests

In 1938 Glancy started building and developing a camp on New Hampshire's Newfound Lake where she enjoyed spending much time,[10][11] and by 1960 would spend four to five months of the year there.[12]

Other personal interests included her involvement with the Worcester Business and Professional Women's Club and the Worcester Hearing League where she served as President and Secretary for a term of three years each.[11][12]

Dr Glancy also enjoyed the arts and took a course in oil painting at the Worcester Art Museum.[9]

Publications

  • Glancy, A. (1909). Observations of comets and asteroids. Berkeley: University Press.
  • Glancy, A. (1909). Photographic observations of Comet c 1908 (Morehouse). Berkeley: University Press.
  • Cole, F., Cummings, L., Glancy, A., Leuschner, A., Levy, S., Merrill, G., Van Orstrand, C. and White, H. (1921). Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences. Volume XIV. Washington, DC: [s.n.].
  • Glancy, A., Leuschner, A. and Levy, S. (1922). On von Zeipel's theory of the perturbations of the Hecuba group of minor planets. [Washington].
  • Leuschner, A., Glancy, A. and McDonald, S. (1922). Tables of minor planets discovered by James C. Watson. Washington: Govt. Print. Off.
  • Perrine, C. and Glancy, A. (1934). Observaciones del cometa Halley durante su aparicion en 1910. Córdoba: Publicado por el Observatório.
  • Glancy, A. (1936). The focal power of ophthalmic lenses. [Southbridge, Mass]: American Optical Co.

Patents

  • Lens-grinding machine US1503497 A, 5 Aug 1924, Anna Estelle Glancy, American Optical Corp
  • Ophthalmic lens US1518405 A, 9 Dec 1924, Anna Estelle Glancy, American Optical Corp
  • Lens US1520617 A, 23 Dec 1924, Anna Estelle Glancy / Edgar D Tillyer, American Optical Corp
  • Ophthalmic lens US1659197 A, 14 Feb 1928, Anna Estelle Glancy, American Optical Corp
  • Lens-seating device US1722520 A, 30 Jul 1929, Anna Estelle Glancy, American Optical Corp
  • Lens-testing instrument US1726820 A, 3 Sep 1929, Anna Estelle Glancy, American Optical Corp
  • Optical system for measuring changes in magnification US2179850 A, 14 Nov 1939, Anna Estelle Glancy, American Optical Corp
  • Ophthalmic lens US2180003 A, 14 Nov 1939, Anna Estelle Glancy / Louis L Gagnon, American Optical Corp
  • Size testing system US2191107 A, 20 Feb 1940, Anna Estelle Glancy, American Optical Corp
  • Wide aperture objective US2371165 A, 13 Mar 1945, Anna Estelle Glancy, American Optical Company
  • Wide aperture lens system having means for reducing spherical aberrations US2474837 A, 5 Jul 1949, Anna Estelle Glancy, American Optical Corp

References

  1. ^ a b "Obituary, Dr. Anna Glancy, Noted AO Scientist" (PDF). Southbridge, Mass: The Evening Post. 21 May 1975. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d Sandrof, Ivan (5 December 1948). "Dr. Estelle Glancy is Only Woman Lens Designer in U.S." Worcester, Mass: Worcester Sunday Telegram. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "A. Estelle Glancy, Ph.D. Research Scientist and Lens Designer" (PDF). American Optical Vision. 31 (2). Southbridge, Mass: American Optical Co.: 12–13 1947. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  4. ^ a b Glancy, Anna Estelle (1910). "Wellesley College Yearbook entries: Anna Estelle Glancy". Wellesley, Mass: Wellesley College. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glancy, Estelle (September 1952). "This personal account of the years from 1918 to 1951 might be entitled: The Evolution of A Lens Designer". Wellesley, Mass: Wellesley College. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  6. ^ Winters,. AO Technical Report:The Masterpiece Lens. American Optical Corporation.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  7. ^ a b c "Anna Estelle Glancy collection". ArchiveGrid. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  8. ^ Sandrof, Ivan (5 December 1948). "Dr. Estelle Glancy is Only Woman Lens Designer in U.S.". Worcester Sunday Telegram. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  9. ^ a b Glancy, Anna Estelle (1955). "Wellesley College Yearbook entries: A. Estelle Glancy". Wellesley, Mass: Wellesley College. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  10. ^ Glancy, Anna Estelle (1939). "Wellesley College Yearbook entries: A. Estelle Glancy, Ph.D University of California". Wellesley, Mass: Wellesley College. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  11. ^ a b Glancy, Anna Estelle (1949). "Wellesley College Yearbook entries: Estelle Glancy". Wellesley, Mass: Wellesley College. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  12. ^ a b Glancy, Anna Estelle (1960). "Wellesley College Yearbook entries: A. Estelle Glancy". Wellesley, Mass: Wellesley College. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
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