A Brief History of the Tacoma Astronomical Society
The Tacoma Astronomical Society is the second oldest astronomical society in the country. It had its beginnings in the late 1920s when regular meetings were held at the house of Llewellyn Evans, the Superintendent of Tacoma City Lighting. At that time, members would build their own telescopes and groups would meet for star gazing parties and general discussion of astronomy. In 1931, the Tacoma Astronomical Society was formally incorporated as a recognized club and was officially known as 'The Tacoma Astronomical Telescope Makers'. At that point in history the Great Depression was affecting all parts of the country and available money for hobbies was scarce. The group helped support each other in their enjoyment of astronomy and its costs.
During the earlier years following incorporation in 1931, the society changed its name to 'Tacoma Astronomer' and had many active members such as Norm Pettinger who was the chief custodian of Tacoma Public Schools. Norm continued in the tradition of building telescopes as well as cameras, and he was one of the society's first astrophotographers. Meetings of the society had also moved to the College of Puget Sound (now the University of Puget Sound), where several professors of the college had become actively involved in the society and allowed the society to participate and use college resources. The general meetings were eventually moved from Howarth Hall to Thompson Hall when construction was completed in 1968. During this time, regular meetings were expanded to include star parties near Mt. Rainier and a regular annual presence at the Puyallup Fair.
The society changed its name once again during the 1970s and has since been known as the Tacoma Astronomical Society. During the late 1970s, Al George, a local businessman and avid amateur astronomer purchased a large dome observatory and had it moved adjacent to his home in Puyallup. The observatory was named the Pettinger-Guiley Obsveratory in recognition of the energy and dedication Norm Pettinger and Don Guiley had put into the society over the years. The telescope itself was named the Swanson Telescope after Al Swanson who worked hard to make the observatory a reality.
The PGO remained an integral part of the Tacoma Astronomical Society until it closed in 2002, 25 years after it opened, when Al George retired. The Tacoma Astronomical Society has continued though in being a integral part of providing resources to amateur astronomers in the South Puget Sound region. It has since formed a strong partnership with Pierce College in Steilacoom where the society continues to hold regular public nights and star parties. The Tacoma Astronomical Society Outreach and Student programs are among the most active in the country and have helped many students earn credit in their studies.
You can find out more about the Tacoma Astronomical Society, its meetings and events, how to use its resources, and how to become a member on this website.