Alexander Dallas Bache | |
|---|---|
 A 19th century illustration of Bache and his signature | |
| 6th Superintendent of the United States Coast Survey | |
| In office 1843–1867 | |
| President | |
| Preceded by | Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Peirce |
| 1st President of the National Academy of Sciences | |
| In office 1863–1867 | |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Henry |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 19, 1806 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | February 17, 1867 (aged 60) Newport, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Resting place | Congressional Cemetery |
| Spouse | Nancy Clark Fowler |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | US Military Academy |
| Known for | coastal mapping project |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | University of Pennsylvania |
Alexander Dallas Bache (July 19, 1806 – February 17, 1867) was an American physicist, scientist, and surveyor who erected coastal fortifications and conducted a detailed survey to map the mideastern United States coastline. Originally an army engineer, he later became Superintendent of the United States Coast Survey, and built it into the foremost scientific institution in the country before the American Civil War.
Bache was born in Philadelphia,[1] the son of Richard Bache, Jr., and Sophia Burrell Dallas Bache. He came from a family prominent in American politics. He was the nephew of Vice-President George M. Dallas and naval hero Alexander J. Dallas, the grandson of Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Dallas, and the great-grandson of Benjamin Franklin.[2]
After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1825, as first in his class, he was an assistant professor of engineering there for some time.[3] As a second lieutenant in the United States Army Corps of Engineers, he was engaged in the construction of Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island.[3] Bache resigned from the Army on June 1, 1829.
Bache was a professor of natural philosophy and chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania from 1828 to 1841 and again from 1842 to 1843.[3] He spent 1836–1838 in Europe on behalf of the trustees of what became Girard College; he was named president of the college after his return.[4] Abroad, he examined European education systems, and on his return he published a valuable report.[1] From 1839 to 1842, he served as the first president of Central High School of Philadelphia, one of the oldest public high schools in the United States.[3]
In 1843, on the death of Professor Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler, Bache was appointed superintendent of the United States Coast Survey.[1] He convinced the United States Congress of the value of this work and, by means of the liberal aid it granted, he completed the mapping of the whole coast by a skillful division of labor and the erection of numerous observing stations.[1] In addition, geomagnetic and meteorological data were collected.[1] Bache served as head of the Coast Survey for 24 years (until his death).
After the Civil War, Bache was elected a 3rd Class Companion of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS) in consideration of his contributions to the war effort.
He married Nancy Clark Fowler on September 30, 1838, in Newport, Rhode Island. She was born in Newport and died on January 13, 1870, in Philadelphia. She assisted in the publication of much of his work. They adopted one son, Henry Wood Bache (1839–1878).[8]
He died at Newport, Rhode Island] on February 17, 1867, from cerebral softening.[1] He was buried in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C., under a monument designed by architect Henry Hobson Richardson.
