THE
BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY
OF
AMERICA
A.
ABBE, Cleveland, meteorologist, was born in New York city, Dec. 3. 1838; son of George Waldo Abbey. He was graduated at the College of the City of New York, A.B., 1857, A.M., 1860; was .png)
assistant professor in Michigan Agricultural college in 1859, and also a tutor in the University of Michigan. He was assistant to B. A. Gould in the U.S. Coast and geodetic survey, 1860-64, at the same time studying astronomy, and made further investigations in the Nicholas Central Observatory at Pulkowa, Russia, 1864-66. He was an assistant at the U.S. naval observatory, 1867-68, and director of the Cincinnati observatory, 1868-73, where he established a set of daily weather reports for the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. He served as meteorologist of the U.S. signal service, 1871-91: of the U.S. weather bureau from 1891, and was professor of meteorology in Columbian university, Washington. D.C., from 1896. He attended the International meridian conference in Washington in 1884; the International meteorological conference in Munich in 1894, and was a lecturer in Johns Hopkins university from 1896. He also originated the system of standard time adopted by the United States. He became a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and received the degree LL.D. from the University of Michigan in 1887, and from the University of Glasgow in 1896; Ph.D. from the University of the City of New York in 1891, and S.B. from Harvard in 1900. He edited the Monthly Weather Review and published "Solar Spots and Terrestrial Temperature" (1867); "Dorpat and Poulkova" (1868); "Annual Reports of Progress in Meteorology" (1872-89); "Observations of Coggia's Comet" (1874); "A Treatise on Meteorological Apparatus" 1887); "Preparatory Studies of Deductive Methods in Meteorology" (1887); "A plea for Terrestrial Physics" (1891); "Atmospheric Radiation" (1892) and various reports.
ABBE, Cleveland, geologist, was born in Washington, D.C., March 25, 1872; son of Cleveland (q.v.) and Francis M. (Neal) Abbe. He was graduated at Harvard, A.B., 1894, A.M., 1896; was an instructor in physiography at the Corcoran scientific school, Columbian university, 1894-97; held a scholarship, 1896-97, and a fellowship in geology, 1897-98 in Johns Hopkins university, receiving the degree Ph.D. He served as an assistant on the Maryland geological survey, 1896-98; was professor of geology and biology in Western Maryland college, 1898-99, and acting professor of natural science in Winthrop Normal and Industrial college. South Carolina, 1899-1900. He became a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Geological society of America in 1899, and published several scientific reports.
ABBETT, Leon, governor of New Jersey, was born in Philadelphia. Pa., Oct. 8, 1836. He attended the public schools of Philadelphia; studied law under John W. Ashmead, and was admitted to the bar in 1857, engaging in practice with his instructor. He removed to Hoboken, N.J., in 1859: became corporation counsel for Jersey City, and continued practice in New York city with W. J. Fuller, until 1866, when he settled in Jersey City. He was elected to the state assembly as a Democrat in 1868; filled the speaker's chair, 1869-70; was secretary of the Democratic National convention at Baltimore, Md., in 1872, and a delegate to the convention at St. Louis, Mo., in 1876. He was a state senator, 1874-77; president of that body in 1877, and twice governor of New Jersey, serving, 1885-92. He became a judge of the supreme court of New Jersey in 1893. He received the degree LL.D. from the College of New Jersey in 1884. He died in Jersey City, N.J., Dec. 4, 1894.
