Né le 29 Juin 1868 / Décédé le 21 Février 1938



    George Ellery Hale naquit le 29 Juin 1868 à Chicago. Son père amassa une fortune considérable en fabriquant et installant des ascenseurs pendant la reconstruction de Chicago après le grand incendie de 1871. George, l'aîné des trois enfants, fut fortement encouragé par son père à être actif et curieux. Sa mère l'initia à la poésie et à la littérature. Il passa sa jeunesse entre les livres et les machines. Encouragé par son père, il construit un petit laboratoire. Par l'intermédiaire de son microscope, George Ellery Hale s'intéresse à l'optique. A 14 ans, George Ellery Hale construisit son premier télescope. Bientôt, il commença à photographier le ciel la nuit, à observer une éclipse partielle du soleil et à dessiner les taches solaires.

    En tant que lecteur attiré par l'astrophysique, Hale s'intéressa aux écrits de William Huggins, Norman Lockyer et Ernest Rutherford. As an avid reader with a strong interest in the budding field of astrophysics, Hale was drawn to the writings of William Huggins, Norman Lockyer, and Ernest Rutherford.[5] His fascination with science, however, did not preclude interests more typical of a normal boy, such as fishing, boating, swimming, skating, tennis, and bicycling.[5] He was an enthusiastic reader of the stories of Jules Verne—particularly drawn to the tales of adventure set in the mountains of California.[5] Hale spent summers at his grandmother's house in the old New England village of Madison, Connecticut, where he met his future wife, Evelina Conklin.[6] After graduating from Oakland Public School in Chicago, Hale attended the Allen Academy, where he studied chemistry, physics, and astronomy.[7] He supplemented his practical home experience by attended a course in shop-work at the Chicago Manual Training School.[7] During these years, Hale developed a knowledge of the principles of architecture and city planning with the help of his father's friend, well-known architect Daniel Burnham. Upon Burnham's advice and encouragement, Hale decided at the age of seventeen to continue his education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).[7]