Figure 11.—Standard Plate Glass Company, Butler, Pennsylvania, with x marking building where Peate’s 62-inch disc was cast. (From Preston, fig. 1.)
“What am I to do all the rest of my life?” he asked of the presiding officer of the meeting, Bishop Hurst, who was also chancellor of the newly founded University.
“Oh, study astronomy,” said the Bishop.
“Make a big telescope lens,” said Dr. Wythe.
Dr. Wythe, whose doctorate was in medicine, was a minister well known in the conference as an inventor and technologist. The legend continues that, urged on by Wythe, Peate announced to the conference, “I will make for the new University the largest telescope lens in the world, if you will defray the out of pocket expenses.”
“Well, how big a lens can you make?” asked the Bishop.
“Oh, as big as that chart on the wall,” said Peate.
“Get a rule and measure the chart.”
The chart was 62 inches across.