Captain
Henry W. Hemple, Chief of the Division of Geodesy,
has retired from active duty after serving more than 35 years
in the Bureau.
Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on October 11, 1892, Captain
Hemple received his education at the Illinois Institute of Technology
in Chicago. In 1917 he entered on duty with the Coast and Geodetic
Survey and has served continuously with the Bureau since that
time. He has advanced from Ensign through the ranks reaching
his present rank of Captain. Captain Hemple has served in various
phases of the Bureau's work making his main contribution in
the field of geodesy.
Under his 7 years of guidance as Chief, the Division of Geodesy
won international recognition in its work. As a result of his
leadership the two largest triangulation adjustments that the
Coast and Geodetic Survey has ever undertaken were successfully
completed. One was the adjustment of the southwestern European
and north African triangulation involving eight countries and
the solution of 2,348 simultaneous equations; the other adjustment
of triangulation covered six northern European countries. These
accomplishments placed the European work on one datum. Much
progress was made by triangulation field parties in Alaska as
a further result of Captain Hemple's over-all planning.
For
a major contribution to science including the organization and
development of steel-tower triangulation practice and superb
leadership in the field of geodetic engineering in the United
States, Captain Hemple was awarded the 1952 Department of Commerce
Gold Medal by the Secretary of Commerce.
Captain
Hemple has served as author of various technical articles. He
is also affiliated with many scientific societies.
Captain Hemple resides with his wife at 5712 Nevada Avenue,
N.W., Washington, D.C.
Captain Henry William Hemple, NOAA (Retired) -
October 11, 1892 - October 13, 1981.
Captain Henry William Hemple was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
He attended the Illinois Institute of Technology where he graduated
in 1916 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering.
He was appointed Deck Officer in 1917 with Coast and Geodetic
Survey and then Ensign in 1918. During his career of over 36
years his assignments included the following ships: ROMBLON,
MARINDUQUE as Commanding Officer, and PATHFINDER on the Philippine
Island Survey, and later aboard the DISCOVERER, and then OCEANOGRAPHER
as Executive Officer. Other assignments comprised numerous geodetic
field parties including traverse, triangulation, and reconnaissance-triangulation.
While serving as Chief of Party on first order triangulation
surveys along the 44th parallel of latitude through Minnesota
in 1927, he was the first to utilize the newly developed Bilby
steel tower. Prior to that time, wooden structures were used
exclusively for triangulation towers. The cost of these operations
per station represented a saving of about 75 percent of the
amount required to construct one of the former wooden towers
of comparable size. He was Assistant Chief of the Division of
Geodesy from 1938 to 1945 and Chief of the Division from 1945
until the time of his retirement in 1952.
For his major contributions to science, highlighted by his superb
leadership in the field of geodetic engineering in the United
States, Captain Hemple was awarded the 1952 Department of Commerce
Gold Medal by the Secretary of Commerce. He was affiliated with
many professional societies including the American Society of
Civil Engineers, Society of American Military Engineers, Washington
Society of Engineers, American Geophysical Union, Washington
Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement
of Science, Institute of Navigation, and was a founding member
and former treasurer of the American Congress on Surveying and
Mapping.
THE BUZZARD, Vol. 26, No.45, 11/11/1952
NOAA CORPS BULLETIN, 11/1/1981
