April 11 was declared William Wallace Campbell Day in Hancock County and for good reason – the nationally acclaimed scientist is a Hancock County native!

This great discovery, made by local historian David Ferguson, has led to a display at the Hancock Historical Museum.  The display will be available for viewing until November 15.

W.W. Campbell

W.W. Campbell was a pioneer of astronomical spectroscopy, the study of visible light and wavelengths, which is used to derive many properties of distant stars and galaxies.  He led seven solar eclipse observations, confirmed Albert Einstein’s prediction that light from distant stars would be bent by the Sun’s gravitational field, and proved Einstein’s theory of relativity.  He also authored or co-authored over 350 scholarly articles, books, essays, and lectures and was widely influential in the scientific world.  Campbell was the Director of the Lick Observatory in California, President of the University of California and ultimately the President of the National Academy of Sciences.  He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in 1900.  Today, Campbell has an asteroid, a crater on Mars, and a crater on the Moon all named after him.

The Display

The new William Wallace Campbell display at the Hancock Historical Museum includes images and artifacts from his early life in Hancock County, and from his time at both the Lick Observatory and University of California.  In the collection there are several instruments from Campbell’s research, the Brashear lens from the Einstein camera, a chronometer, and much, much more.  This exhibit is a must see for anyone interested in science, astronomy, and Hancock County history.

The Museum

While at the museum, make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to learn all about Hancock County’s rich history.  The Hancock Historical Museum has collected pieces of it to give you a snapshot of the past.  Whether you are interested in learning more about government at the Oxley Government Center, view the many pieces of beautiful Findlay glass that are on exhibit, take a step in the past by exploring Hancock County history, the Hancock Historical Museum has it all.  Besides their regular exhibits, the Hancock Historical Museum also hosts special rotating exhibits and many different special events, including monthly brown bag lunch and learns and children’s activities!

Admission to the museum is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, $2 for children, and $12 for families.  The museum is located at 422 W. Sandusky St. in Findlay and are open Wednesday – Friday
10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday by appointment, and Sunday 1 – 4 p.m.