FARRINGTON DANIELS, SOLAR PROPHET AND PIONEER IN THE USE OF SOLAR ENERGY AS APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY

摘要

I never had a conversation with Farrington Daniels (1889- 1972), I wish I had. Fortunately, after working for several years as archivist for the Daniels' papers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and assisting his widow, Olive Bell Daniels (1891-1984) in writing his biography, I learned enough about Daniels to comment on his life and scientific career. As most of you know Daniels was a founding member of the Solar Energy Society and the first to propose that the society publish a journal, which when volume one appeared in 1957 had the title Journal of Solar Science and Engineering. I am therefore extremely pleased on the fiftieth anniversary of the society's first meeting in Arizona to have the opportunity to speak on Daniels and thank the organizers of the Solar History Symposium, Renate Boer and Cesare Silvi, for inviting me to participate. My commentary on Daniels addresses three questions about his life and science: (1) who was Daniels the person and the scientist, (2) what was his solar research program, and (3) what is his legacy?