Mary Proctor

Mary Proctor (1862 – September 11, 1957) was an American popularizer of astronomy. She never became a professional astronomer but is widely known for numerous articles and books on the subject. Despite various claims as being an American, there is a passenger list of about 1924 where she gives nationality as British.(ancestry.co Mary Proctor, passenger lists.

Early life

She was born in Dublin, Ireland, the daughter of Mary and Richard Proctor. Proctor's mother died in 1879. Her father remarried in 1881 and her family immigrated to the United States settling in Saint Joseph, Missouri in 1882. Her father was a British popularizer of astronomy, lecturer, and writer, who was born in London and graduated Saint John's College in Cambridge. She gained her astronomical knowledge and love for writing from him. At early age, she took pride caring of her father's library and arranged his letters and corrected the galley proofs of his books. In 1898, Proctor graduated from the College of Preceptors in London. The crater Proctor on the Moon was named after her and Proctor on Mars was named after her father.)