astronomy

James Phinney Baxter III

James Phinney Baxter III is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand James Phinney Baxter III rather than just read about it. In short: James Phinney Baxter III (February 15, 1893 in Portland, Maine – June 17, 1975 in Williamstown, Massachusetts) was an American historian, educator, and academic, who won the 1947 Pulitzer Prize for History for his book Scientists Against Time (1946). He was also the author of The Introduction of the Ironclad Warship (1933).

Key takeaways

James Phinney Baxter III belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect James Phinney Baxter III to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of James Phinney Baxter III from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

James Phinney Baxter III (February 15, 1893 in Portland, Maine – June 17, 1975 in Williamstown, Massachusetts) was an American historian, educator, and academic, who won the 1947 Pulitzer Prize for History for his book Scientists Against Time (1946). He was also the author of The Introduction of the Ironclad Warship (1933). Baxter was the grandson of canning magnate, historian and mayor of Portland, Maine, James Phinney Baxter and the son of James Phinney Baxter Jr. He was a nephew of former Maine governor and philanthropist Percival Proctor Baxter. He attended Portland High School and Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, followed by Williams College, where he was graduated as valedictorian with Phi Beta Kappa honors, was a member of Kappa Alpha Society, and served as president of the Gargoyle Society. He obtained M.A. degrees from both Williams and Harvard University and his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1926. Baxter taught at Colorado College and then at Harvard, progressing from instructor to full professor in 10 years. He served as the first master of Adams House. In 1928 he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1937-1961 he was president of Williams College. Baxter left Williams during World War II while he served as research coordinator of information (1941–1943) and director of the Office of Strategic Services (1942–1943). In 1943 he was the part-time official historian of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, where he wrote Scientists Against Time. He was a member of the board of trustees of the World Peace Foundation. President Dwight Eisenhower appointed Baxter to the Gaither Commission. Baxter III died in June 1975 and is buried beside his wife at the Williams College cemetery.

References

External links Williams College biography James Phinney Baxter, 1893–1975 at Library of Congress Authorities — with 6 catalog records

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with James Phinney Baxter III

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what James Phinney Baxter III claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to James Phinney Baxter III before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about James Phinney Baxter III ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of James Phinney Baxter III

In research: James Phinney Baxter III appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses James Phinney Baxter III in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: James Phinney Baxter III is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1893 births, 1975 deaths, 20th-century American historians, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for James Phinney Baxter III outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study James Phinney Baxter III in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what James Phinney Baxter III means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain James Phinney Baxter III out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is James Phinney Baxter III in simple terms?

Why does James Phinney Baxter III matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study James Phinney Baxter III?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on James Phinney Baxter III.