Størmer the Man

Abstract

Except for about 3 cumulative years in France, Germany and the United States, Carl Størmer spent his 60-year career filling multiple leadership positions at the University of Kristiania/Oslo. He gave his first scientific talk at the University on March 8, 1892, while still a high school student. Before completing his final examinations at the University, on March 16, 1896 he was invited to address The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters on his trigonometric-series research. When Størmer was appointed Professor in 1903, he did not have his own group nor did he belong to an institute at the University. In fact, the Mathematical Institute at University of Kristiania had not yet come into existence. Initially he had to share an office with the two other professors, and was unhappy with this setup. After 1934 he usually wrote “Astrophysical Institute” under his name in correspondence (Fig. 8.1).