Lorin Blodget (May 23, 1823 in Busti, Chautauqua County, New York – 1901) was an American physicist and writer. Blodget was born near Jamestown and attended the Jamestown Academy. He later attended a college now called Hobart College in Geneva, New York. In 1851, he became assistant professor at the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

at Washington. He may be said to have laid the foundation of American

climatology Climatology (from Greek , ''klima'', "slope"; and , '' -logia'') or climate science is the scientific study of Earth's climate, typically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of at least 30 years. Climate concerns the atmospher ...

. In 1855, he published a quarto volume of climatological observations, and in 1857 ''Climatology of the United States'', a work extensively circulated and very favorably received in Europe. He was editor of the ''North American'', published in Philadelphia, and secretary of the Philadelphia Board of Trade from 1858 to 1864. He contributed articles on finance to the ''North American Review'' in 1866 and 1867, besides making contributions to various other publications. Besides his work for the Smithsonian, Blodget worked for the War Department to conduct climatological research. Afterward, he worked for the Treasury Department, preparing statistical and financial reports, and later working in specialized positions in the Customs and Treasury Department. Subsequently, he moved to Philadelphia to become the secretary of the Board of Trade and editor of the "North American Review." He was elected to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

in 1872.

References

*Thompson, Kenneth. "The question of climatic stability in America before 1900", ''Climatic Change'', Vol. 3, No. 3, September, 1981. *''This article incorporates text from the Universal Cyclopædia & Atlas, 1902, New York, D. Appleton & Co., a publication now in the

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.''

External links

Lorin Blodget ''On the climatic conditions of the summer of 1853, most directly affecting its sanatary (sic) character'' (New York, 1853).

Lorin Blodget ''Climatology of the United States: And of the Temperate Latitudes of the North American Continent : Embracing a Full Comparison of These with the Climatology of the Temperate Latitudes of Europe and Asia.'' (Philadelphia, 1857).
1823 births 1901 deaths People from Chautauqua County, New York American physicists American climatologists Scientists from New York (state) {{US-physicist-stub