Joseph Henry

Joseph Henry (December 17 1797 – May 13 1878) was an American scientist. During his lifetime, he was considered the greatest American scientist since Benjamin Franklin. While building electromagnets, he discovered the electromagnetic phenomenon of self-inductance. He also discovered mutual inductance, independently of Faraday, but Faraday was the first to publish his results. His work on the electromagnetic relay was the basis of the electrical telegraph, jointly invented by Morse and Wheatstone.

Early Years

Joseph Henry was born on December 17th, 1797 in Albany, NY to two immigrants from Scotland, Ann Alexander Henry and William Henry. His parents were poor and Joseph?s father died while he was still a young boy. So, for the rest of his childhood, Joseph lived with his grandmother in Galway, NY. He attended a school which would later be named Joseph Henry Elementary School in his honor. After school, he worked at a general store, and later, at the age of thirteen, he went to work as an apprentice watchmaker and silversmith. Joseph?s first love was theater and he came very close to becoming a professional actor. His interest in science was piqued at the age of sixteen, by a book of lectures on scientific topics titled Popular Lectures on Experimental Philosophy. And, in 1819, persuaded by some influential friends to pursue a more academic career, he entered Albany Academy, where he was given free tuition. He was poor so, even with free tuition, Joseph Henry had to support himself with teaching and private tutoring positions. Initially, he intended to go into the field of medicine, but, in 1824, he was appointed an assistant engineer for the survey of State road, being constructed between the Hudson River and Lake Erie (a distance of 300 miles). From then on, he was inspired to a career in civil or mechanical engineering.

Related Topics:
Albany, NY - Scotland - Ann Alexander Henry - William Henry - Galway, NY - Joseph Henry Elementary School - Watchmaker - Silversmith - Popular Lectures on Experimental Philosophy - 1819 - Albany Academy - 1824 - Hudson River - Lake Erie - Civil - Mechanical engineering

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