Notable (and Notorious) Newcombs
Simon Newcomb
Simon Newcomb (1835-1909) was one of the outstanding scientists of the 19th century. Born in Wallace, Nova Scotia, he came to the United States in 1853 and was appointed computer on Nautical Almanac in 1857. He graduated from Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard College in 1858 and was appointed Professor of Mathematics, United States Navy, in 1861, assigned to the Naval Observatory in Washington. In 1894, he became professor of Mathematics-Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University. He made numerous astronomical discoveries and published more than 100 scientific papers.
In 1874 Columbian University of Washington awarded him the degree of LLD. He received a similar honor from Yale in 1875, from Harvard in 1884, and from Columbia in 1887. In 1875, University of Leyden gave him the degree of master of mathematics and doctor of natural philosophy, and in 1886 he received the degree of PhD from the University of Heidelberg. He was awarded the gold medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1874, and in 1878 received the Great Gold Huygens medal of the University of Leyden, which awarded once in twenty years for the most important work accomplished in astronomy.
Anita Newcomb McGee
Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee (1864-1940) was the daughter of astronomer Simon Newcomb. She was in private practice in Washington DC from 1892 to 1896. She served as Director or the Daughters of the American Revolution Hospital Corps, which trained nurses for the Army and Navy, from April toSeptember 1898. In August 1898 she was appointed acting Assistant Surgeon, United States Army, and was assigned to duty in the Army Surgeon General’s Department as Superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps, which she organized. She later became a lecturer at the University of California.
Ambrose Newcomb
Ambrose Newcomb was a writer of children’s books who created the six-book “Jack Ralston” detective series for boys in 1930.
Mark Newcomb
Mountaineer Mark Newcomb was in the first party to successfully reach the summit of Sepu Kangri, a 22,821-foot peak in Tibet known for its difficult weather. Newcomb and his climbing partner Carlos Buhler reached the top on October 2, 2002.
Frank H. Newcomb
Frank H. Newcomb (1846-1934) served in the Navy as Acting Master’s Mate during the Civil War, then entered the Revenue Cutter Service. Commanding cutter Hudson on blockade off Cuba in the Spanish-American War, he engaged Spanish gunboats in the harbor at Cardenas 11 May 1898 and towed Wilmington to safety after her steering gear had been shot away. His bravery and skill won him the Medal of Honor. Newcomb subsequently served in the Coast Guard, successor to the Revenue Cutter Service, rising to Commodore. The Navy destroyer USS Newcomb was named for him.
Samuel Pierce Newcomb
Samuel Pierce Newcomb (1839-1870) was a pioneer settler in west Texas. He was one of the organizers of Stephens County, where he served as county clerk, surveyor and tax collector. After the Civil War he served in the frontier militia, and later became a school teacher. He died during a measles epidemic in 1870. Newcomb and his wife, Susan (Reynolds) are best remembered for their diaries which provide firsthand observations and experiences of the period.
Rock Newcomb
Rock Newcomb is an artist known for his complex paintings of prehistoric pottery. Newcomb’s work, found in galleries throughout the U.S. and abroad, has been honored with awards in juried shows and exhibitions.
George “Bitter Creek” Newcomb
Bitter Creek Newcomb (1886-1895) got his nickname from a song he liked to sing: “I’m a wild wolf from Bitter Creek and it’s my night to howl”. He was a cowboy for a while, and became a member of the Doolin/Dalton outlaw gang, participating in several bank robberies and train holdups. He was shot to death at the Dunn Ranch in Oklahoma.
Newcomb’s Paradox
Physicist William Newcomb created this problem, which was popularized by Harvard philosopher Robert Nozick.
A being with great predictive powers presents us with two boxes, Box 1 and Box 2. Box 1 contains $1,000; Box 2 contains either $1,000,000 or nothing. We may choose either Box 2 by itself, or Box 1 and Box 2 together. If the being predicts that we will choose both boxes, he does not put anything in Box 2; if he predicts that we will choose Box 2 only, he puts $1,000,000 in Box 2. What should we choose? The choices and their meanings have been much debated.
Don Newcombe
Don Newcombe (1926- ), professional baseball pitcher, began his major league career with the Booklyn Dodgers in 1926. He won the Rookie of the Year Award, the Cy Young Award and The Most Valuable Player Award. He played for 5 teams in 10 seasons. Since his retirement from baseball, he has worked for a number of charitable and community-service causes.