Sc . ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁and ▁a ▁M . Sc . ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 . ▁He ▁later ▁went ▁to ▁Harvard ▁University ▁and ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 . ▁ ▁He ▁then ▁went ▁to ▁South ▁Africa ▁for ▁a ▁post - grad uate ▁astronom y ▁studies , ▁and ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁May ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁was ▁married ▁to ▁Syl via ▁M uss ells ▁in ▁Cape ▁Town . ▁He ▁returned ▁to ▁Ireland ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁to ▁become ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Arm agh ▁Observ atory . ▁He ▁remained ▁the ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁observ atory ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁of ▁a ▁sudden ▁heart ▁attack . ▁ ▁He ▁is ▁more ▁noted ▁for ▁his ▁political ▁influence ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁astronom y ▁than ▁for ▁important ▁astronom ical ▁discover ies . ▁For ▁example , ▁he ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁persu ading ▁the ▁Irish ▁government ▁and ▁Harvard ▁University ▁to ▁found ▁a ▁teles cope ▁at ▁Boy den ▁Station ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁chart ing ▁the ▁southern ▁sk ies . ▁Dr . ▁L inds ay ▁was ▁also ▁instrument al ▁in ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁Arm agh ▁Planet arium . ▁ ▁Dr . ▁L inds ay ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Syl via ▁had ▁one ▁son , ▁D erek ▁Michael ▁L inds ay , ▁who ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁D erek ▁became ▁a ▁professor ▁of ▁Chem istry ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁and ▁died ▁six ▁months ▁before ▁his ▁Mother ▁Syl via ▁in