Maud Worcester Makemson

Contributions and Distinctions

From 1932 to 1957 Makemson taught astronomy and conducted research at Vassar College. In 1936, she became the fourth woman to direct the Vassar Observatory after Maria Mitchell, where she  mentored Vera Rubin, the eminent astronomer who discovered dark matter. In 1960, she co-authored a textbook “Introduction to Astrodynamics,”  the first of its kind. She served as a consultant to NASA on lunar exploration in 1964-65.  Makemson’s final contributions focused on discovering a way for astronauts to determine their positions on the moon while they had no access to radar or radio. This method became an essential factor in every selenodetic survey.

Biographical Sketch  

Maud Worcester Makemson (1891-1977) came late to astronomy. She attended  Radcliffe College for one year, studying classics. She taught and worked as a journalist before becoming an astronomer.  She married Thomas Makemson and had three children. As a young journalist in Arizona Maud was inspired by viewing the great aurora in May 1921. She fought to gain admission to UCLA by taking  correspondence courses in math and science  and attending summer school. At the age of thirty-four she earned a BS from UCLA in 1925, and a PhD from Berkeley in astronomy in 1930.

From 1932 to 1957 Makemson taught astronomy and conducted research at Vassar College. In 1936, she became the fourth woman to direct the Vassar Observatory after Maria Mitchell, where she mentored Vera Rubin, the eminent astronomer who discovered dark matter.

Research and publications about primitive astronomy and mythology reflect her broad interests in anthropology. Her research in Mexico resulted in a publication titled “The Astronomical Tables of the Maya" (1943). Later in 1954 she wrote an article about the worship of celestial bodies in Mesopotamia, China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. After retiring from Vassar in 1957 she taught at UCLA and served as a consultant to NASA for their lunar missions.