Scope and Content Note
The papers of astronomer Asaph Hall, III, (1829-1907) include papers of his son Asaph Hall, IV, (1859-1930), also an astronomer, and other family members. The papers span the years 1837-1998 with the bulk of the material dating from 1860 to 1920. They consist of correspondence, a diary, journal, biographical material, genealogical papers, scientific notebooks, writings, speeches, lectures, and printed matter. Hall's long tenure at the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., and his discovery of the moons of Mars are documented in the papers. Correspondents include Alexander Graham Bell, Alvan Clark, Benjamin Apthorp Gould, Othniel Charles Marsh, and Hermann Struve, as well as family members including Hall's father (Asaph Hall, II, 1800-1842), Chloe Angeline Stickney Hall (wife of Hall, III), and Mary Estella Cockrell Hall (wife of Hall, IV).