1 8 8 8 – August ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 9 5 8 ) ▁was ▁an ▁American ▁scientific ▁editor ▁and ▁amateur ▁astronom er . ▁Through ▁his ▁columns ▁in ▁Scient ific ▁American , ▁including ▁" The ▁Am ateur ▁Scient ist ", ▁and ▁his ▁three - volume ▁series ▁Am ateur ▁T eles cope ▁M aking , ▁Ing alls ▁ex ert ed ▁a ▁great ▁influence ▁on ▁amateur ▁astronom y ▁and ▁amateur ▁teles cope ▁making ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Ing alls ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁El mi ra , ▁New ▁York , ▁an ▁only ▁child . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁he ▁graduated ▁from ▁Corn ell ▁University . ▁He ▁worked ▁odd ▁jobs , ▁including ▁te legraph ▁operator , ▁until ▁en list ing ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁National ▁Guard ▁and ▁serving ▁in ▁France ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 3 ▁he ▁became ▁an ▁editor ▁at ▁Scient ific ▁American , ▁an ▁affili ation ▁he ▁maintained ▁until ▁his ▁ret irement ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 . ▁He ▁later ▁described ▁his ▁editor ial ▁duties ▁as ▁" ob tain ing ▁articles , ▁editing ▁articles , ▁finding ▁the ▁illustr ations , ▁writing ▁the ▁ca ptions , ▁reading ▁the ▁proof ▁and , ▁in ▁general , ▁being ▁wet - n ur se ▁to ▁six ▁major ▁articles ▁each ▁month ." ▁ ▁He ▁started ▁a ▁regular ▁column , ▁" The ▁Back ▁Y ard ▁Astronom er " ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁which ▁he ▁later ▁named ▁" The ▁Am ateur ▁Scient ist ". ▁His ▁final ▁column