Arctowski, Henry.
Geophysicist and meteorologist. Born in Warsaw, Poland in 1871. Received Doctor of Philosophy degree honoris causa from several Polish universities. Member of numerous meteorological expeditions. Chief of educational department at the New York Public Library 1911-18. Left U.S. in 1919 for Poland. In 1920 appointed professor at the University of Lwow. Came to U.S. in the summer of 1939 as a delegate to attend a Congress of International Union of Geophysicists which was held in Washington, D. C. Because of the start of World War II in Europe had to remain in America. At present engaged by Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D. C. as research worker in his chosen field of meteorology and geophysics. Address: Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D. C.

From: "Who's Who in Polish America" by Rev. Francis Bolek, Editor-in-Chief; Harbinger House, New York, 1943

see Edward Pinkowski's article [Arrow Picture]

Arctowski, Henryk; born July 15 1871 in Warsaw; died on February 21, 1958 in Washington (according to the Brockhaus Encyclopedia in Bethesda, MD on February 20, 1956); traveller, geographer and geophysicist [?]. He studied abroad (mainly in Belgium). He took part in the expedition (1897-99) organized by Adriene de Gerlache. As the scientific director of this expedition he made oceanographic, glacier. Meteorological and geological observations. He drew a bathymetrical map that indicates depth of the seas surrounding Western Antarctica. He was the first to propose the thesis that western Antarctica was once connected to South America, since its mountain types and formations resemble those in the third zone of the Andes. The name "Antarctica" used by Arctowski was accepted by scientific authorities . He published his observations from the expedition on the ship "Belgica" during 1899-1913. In 1910 he did scientific studies in Spitsbergen. For material reasons he left Belgium and came to the United States. He lived there from 1911 to 1919 employed as the director of the Natural History department that he initiated at the New York Public Library. He prepared materials used by the American peace mission to the Versailles Peace Conference. In the inter war period he was in Poland (1921-39) as professor of geophysics and meteorology at Lwow University. He was also the director of the Geophysics and Meteorology Institute. In 1939 he again departed for the United States and became involved in working with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. He was one of the leading polar research scientists, publishing about 400 scientific works. Among them: "antarctica" ("Wszechswiat," 16 1897), "The Bathymetrical Conditions of the antarctic regions" (1899), Rapport preliminaire sur les sondages de la Belgica" (1899), "Aurores australes. Journal les aurores polaires pedant l'hivernage de la Belgica" (1902), "Samochod w wyprawie do bieguna poludniowego" [The automobile in the expedition to reach the South Pole] ("Przyroda," 2, 1904), Les Glaciers actuels et vestiges de leur ancienne extension' (1908), "resultats du voyage de Belgica" (1903-1913), "O roku polarnym" [On the polar year] ("Kosmos," 53, 1928).

[Sources:] "Encyclopedia przyroda i technika. Zagadnienia wiedzy wspoczesnej" [Encyclopedia of nature and technology. Questions for modern science] edited by: J. Hurwic, Warsaw 1963; "Brockhous Enzyklopadie in zwei banden," Bd. 1, Weisbaden 1966; "Wielka Encyklopedia PWN" [Great PWN Encyclopedia] vol. 2 warsaw 2001; "Czy wiesz kto to jest?" [Do you know who this is?] edited by. S. Loza, Warszawa 1938; "Encyklopedyczny slownik slawnych Polakow" [Encyclopedic directory of famous Poles] edited by J. Borowiec, Warsaw 1996; "Polacy w historii i kulturze krajow Europy zachodniej. Slownik biograficzny" [Poles in the history and culture of Western Europe. Biographical directory] edited by K. Kwasniewski, L. Trzeciakowski, Poznan 1981; A. Kosiba, "Dzialalnosc naukowa prof. H. Arctowskiego" [Scientific activities of prof. H. Artctowski] "Acta Geophisica Polonica," 3/4 (1960); M. Witkowski "Arctowski, Henryk (15.07.1871 21.02.1958) polski badacz polarny," ibid. 3/4 (1960); L. Litwinski, "Polacy w zyciu belgijskim" [Poles in Belgium] "Zeszyty Historyczne," Paris, 1964; R. Badowski, "Szlakiem polskich pionierow" [On the trail of Polish pioneers] "Panorama Polska," 10 (1976); T. Slabczynski, "Bohaterowie wielkiej przygody, " [Heroes of the great adventure] Lodz 1991; Polish polar studies: 25th International Polar Symposium: the 100th anniversary of prof. Henryk Arctowski's and prof. Antoni Dobrowolski's participation in the Belgica expedition to the Antarctic in 1887-1889," edited by P. Glowacki and J. Bednarek, Warszawa 1998.

Author: Wieslawa Eder

Translated from: "Encyklopedia Polskiej Emigracji i Polonii," Edited by: Kazimierz Dopierala, Vol. I, Oficyna Wydawnicza Kucharski, Torun, Poland, 2003.