Helen Spence Federer (1911-1983) was an astronomer who worked at the Harvard College Observatory in various capacities from approximately 1941-1962.¹ During her time at the HCO, she worked in administrative roles and as the co-founder and managing editor of Sky & Telescope magazine.

From 1941-1942, Spence Federer worked as the assistant to Leon Campbell, the first recording secretary of the American Association of Variable Star Observers, which at the time was housed at the HCO.² She brought her “quiet reserve and a great deal of editorial know-how” to the role.³

In 1941, Spence Federer and her husband, Charles A. Federer Jr., founded the astronomy magazine Sky & Telescope, which continues to be published today.⁴ They created the magazine by joining two existing publications: The Sky, published by the American Museum of Natural History, and The Telescope, published by the Harvard College Observatory.⁵ Charles served as the Editor in Chief and Helen served as the Managing Editor,⁶ and the magazine was headquartered at the HCO.⁷

From 1948-1949, Spence Federer served as president of the National Astronomical League.⁸ In 1954, Spence Federer and her husband published a book of astronomical photos entitled Splendors of the Sky.⁹ From at least 1961-1962, Spence Federer served as the administrative assistant to Donald Menzel, the director of the HCO.¹⁰

Spence Federer was born in New York City and graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University.¹¹ She died in Cambridge, Massachusetts on April 11, 1983 at the age of 71, leaving behind a son, a daughter, and two grandchildren.¹²

Written by Elizabeth Coquillette, 2022

Citations:

^{1- Lindsay Smith Zrull, “Women in Glass: Women at the Harvard Observatory during the Era of Astronomical Glass Plate Photography, 1875-1975,” Journal of the History of Astronomy, vol. 52, no. 2 (2021), p. 135.↩
2-Dorrit Hoffleit, “Four Helens,” in “70th Anniversary of the AAVSO,” Journal of the American Association of Variable Star Observers, vol. 10 (1981), p. 103-104. Bibcode: 1981JAVSO..10…98M↩
3- Ibid.↩
4- “Meet the Staff of Sky & Telescope,” Sky & Telescope, retrieved July 21, 2022, https://skyandtelescope.org/about/meet-the-staff/.↩
5- Dennis Overbye, “When Sky & Telescope Had No Limit,” The New York Times, March 26, 2019.↩
6- Hoffleit, “Four Helens”}.↩
^{7-Zrull, “Women in Glass,” 135.↩
8- “Cambridge Woman Heads National Astronomical League,” The Boston Globe, July 6, 1948; “Astronomical League Presidents,” The Astronomical League, https://www.astroleague.org/content/astronomical-league-presidents.↩
9- Charles Federer and Helen Federer, Splendors of the Sky. Cambridge: Sky Publishing Corporation, 1954.↩
10-“Letter dated September 19, 1961 to Tombaugh from Helen S. Federer”; “Letter dated March 19, 1962 to Tombaugh from Helen S. Federer” in Clyde W. Tombaugh Papers, New Mexico State University Department of Astronomy/Library Digital Collections, https://nmsu.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/Ms0407/id/20813/rec/18.↩
11-“Helen Federer, 71: Astronomer, Belmont resident,” The Boston Globe, April 20, 1983.↩
12- Ibid.↩}