La Plata in Argentina to help them develop their Observatory and telescopes. In 1912, he went on to earn another degree from Brown University. Time at the University of Michigan As an astronomy professor and director of the Detroit Observatory, Hussey made many meaningful contributions to the astronomy department at the University of Michigan. He was responsible for securing large donations to the observatory and for the installation of a 37 1/2-inch reflecting telescope. He was able to expand the astronomy department from twelve students to over one-hundred. Hussey often argued against any developments around the Observatory to protect it from anything that could disrupt observations, such as dirt, dust, and light. In 1912, while Hussey was voyaging across the Atlantic on his way to La Plata University in Argentina, the president of the university, Harry B. Hutchins, and the board of regents decided to build a power plant near the observatory. Hussey and his wife, Ethel Hussey, argued against the plant’s development but it was developed despite their opposition. Ethel Hussey was the first president of the Michigan League at the time. Death On his way to install a new telescope in South Africa, Hussey died unexpectedly in London, England on October 28, 1926. He had worked for many years preparing for this project. A crater on Mars was named in his honor. The Lamont–Hussey Observatory in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa was named after him. References External links W. Hussey @ Astrophysics Data System Photograph of William J. Hussey from the Lick Observatory Records Digital Archive, UC Santa Cruz Library's Digital Collections Obituaries MNRAS 87 (1927) 260 Obs 49 (1926) 347 PASP 39 (1927) 35 1862 births 1926 deaths American astronomers University of Michigan College of Engineering alumni University of Michigan faculty Recipients of the Lalande Prize