Abbe, Cleveland

(born Dec. 3, 1838, New York, N.Y., U.S.—died Oct. 28, 1916, Chevy Chase, Md.) U.S. meteorologist. He was trained as an astronomer and appointed director of the Cincinnati Observatory in 1868. His interest turned to meteorology, and he inaugurated a public weather service that served as a model for the national weather service, which was organized shortly thereafter as a branch of the (U.S. Army) Signal Service. In 1871 he was appointed chief meteorologist of the branch, which in 1891 was reorganized under civilian control as the U.S. Weather Bureau (later the National Weather Service), and he served in that capacity more than 45 years.

Find more information on Abbe, Cleveland. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Abbe, Cleveland.