George Willis Botsford

George Willis Botsford 1862-1917, American historian, b. West Union, Iowa. After some years (1895-1901) at Harvard, he taught (1901-17) ancient history at Columbia. An outstanding authority on ancient history, he wrote numerous monographs and scholarly works but is best remembered for his high school and college textbooks. His Hellenic History (1922) was especially well received. He collaborated with E. G. Sihler on a source book, Hellenic Civilization (1915, repr. 1965).

Ritchey, GeorgeWillis (1864–1945)Americanastronomer and optician. At Mount Wilson Observatory he made the mirror for the 60-inch (1.5-m) telescope and supervised the work on the mirror for the 100-inch (2.5-m). With these instruments he discovered dark lanes in the Andromeda Galaxy, and in 1917 he took the first photographs of novae and supernovae in the Andromeda Galaxy, providing the first means of estimating its distance. He also took the first photographs to show globular clusters around other galaxies. He later collaborated on the design of the Ritchey–Chrétien telescope, the first of which was completed in 1930.

Willis, Henry (b London, 1821; d London, 1901). Eng. organ builder. Invented special manual and pedal couplers. Founded own business, London 1848. Built or renewed many cath. orgs. incl. those in St Paul's Cath., London (1872), and Gloucester Cath. (1874); also those in St George's Hall, Liverpool (1854), and the Royal Albert Hall, London (1871).