In memory of past LAS members

Former LAS member Stanley F. Thorpe died Saturday, September 20, 1997 at age 98.

Mr. Thorpe was a Charter member of the LAS, and served as it's fourth president in 1936 - 37.

Mr. Thorpe was an active amateur astronomer for over 40 years. He built several excellent telescopes, plus a unique tilted dome roof top observatory. He was a contributing member of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) and the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO). He was equally skilled as a solar, lunar, and planetary observer, as well as an accomplished astrophotographer.

In recent years he was recognized as an Honorary member of the LAS, and in 1993 was given it's Lifetime Achievement Award. His commitment to excellence has had a lasting impact on several generations of local amateur astronomers.

by Chuck Allen

On December 2nd, Virginia C. Lipphard died at her home in Hayward, California. She was 87.

Mrs. Lipphard touched the lives of hundreds of young people while serving for 20 years as sponsor of the Louisville Junior Astronomical Society. She and her daughter, Carol, were the leading forces in the founding of the LJAS in November, 1953, and Mrs. Lipphard remained the organization's sponsor until she retired to California in 1973 to be near her family. During that span, while working as a legal secretary, remaining active in her church, playing concert violin and raising and educating a daughter, she nurtured two generations of young scientists including a dozen future professional astronomers and scientists and winners of 2nd, 3rd and 4th place honors in the prestigious Westinghouse Science Talent Search.

Mrs. Lipphard encouraged young people to pursue excellence at whatever level they could achieve it. She prompted her juniors to enter science fairs, encouraged youngsters to give club, public and convention talks and provided juniors with transportation to club meetings and observations. She chaperoned juniors on several national convention trips and organized two Great Lakes Regional conventions for which her juniors had primary responsibilities. She routinely opened her home for club and board meetings.

Mrs. Lipphard would place her juniors on stage and then sit quietly - and proudly -- nearby, knitting at an never-finished sweater. Her pride was visible as she listened to her charges teaching the public, giving convention papers or making club presentations. And she took pride in the worst of presentations, for she knew the value was in the trying.

Mrs. Lipphard even had young people teaching younger people. It was she who organized the Stargazers, an under-12 group which met at the Crescent Hill library on Saturday mornings. LJAS members were responsible for teaching this group. Even Dr. J. Richard Gott, III, astrophysicist at Princeton University and honorary LAS member, came to organized astronomy as a member of the Stargazers and later as a Stargazers instructor.

Mrs. Lipphard received the LAS' Distinguished Achievement Award at the 60th anniversary celebration in 1993. I doubt that any person, other than Dr. Walter Lee Moore himself, was as richly deserving of this honor. Richard Gott accepted the honor on her behalf. Mrs. Lipphard's service to the LAS included not only 20 years of tireless effort as LJAS sponsor, but also service as 24th LAS President (1957-58), service as LAS Vice-President (1956-57) and 8 years' service as LAS Secretary (1960-68).

Mrs. Lipphard also served as Chairman of the Great Lakes Region of the Astronomical League from 1962 to 1964 and was chiefly responsible for the LAS and LJAS decisions to host the 1962 and 1969 Great Lakes Regional conventions at the Kentucky Hotel and St. Xavier High School, respectively.

In 1991, Mrs. Lipphard's former juniors sought to pay tribute to this small lady who left such giant footprints in the lives of the young people she met. With letters from many of her former juniors, including Dr. John Kielkopf, professor of physics at the University of Louisville, Edward F. Novak, senior physicist at Mound Laboratories and Dr. Gott, her juniors nominated her for the Astronomical League Award, the highest honor bestowed by the League. The award recognizes achievement in astronomy at the national or international level and has, in the past, been presented to such notables as Clyde Tombaugh, Dr. Armand Spitz, Dr. Margaret Mayall and Dr. Harlow Shapley. Mrs. Lipphard was nominated not so much for what she had accomplished in astronomy, but for what she had helped so many others to accomplish. Her impact on the science is unmistakable.

Mrs. Lipphard was selected as the winner of that award and her juniors flew her from California to ALCON '91 in Amherst, Massachusetts, where she received the award before her daughter and a standing ovation of over 200 amateur and professional astronomers from across the nation.

On a purely personal note, I had barely met Mrs. Lipphard when she had me giving public talks with John Kielkopf, teaching Stargazers with Richard Gott, pursuing the Advanced Junior Certificate, accepting LJAS office, handling public observations and giving sky reports at LAS meetings. I remember the first such presentation best -- a five minute LAS sky report during which I did not breathe once. Being only 11 at the time, I did not appreciate how important such opportunities would turn out to be. But, in the years since then, I have given 400 public programs and an even greater number of courtroom presentations. And every time I stand up in front of a group, I remember Mrs. Lipphard. I see her sitting somewhere nearby, quietly, with that knowing smile ... tending to that never-finished sweater.

Good bye, Mrs. L. We will miss you very very much.