OEFF History
The University of Arizona has a proud and long heritage in the design, engineering and fabrication of complex challenging optics and systems. The College of Optical Sciences (OSC) recently celebrating its 50th birthday and Steward Observatory (SO) celebrated its 90th birthday. These two organization are world leaders in their fields of education and research.
UA has great: science, people, technology development, facilities and innovation!
The OSC and SO have joined their technical groups to support research and science. These two groups are very strong and capable in carrying out challenging and difficult research projects in optics and complex systems. These includes design, engineering, research, fabrication and testing. The two groups have a long heritage of producing successful world class research and products for government and private customers.
The first Optical Sciences Building in 1963.
College of Optical Sciences
The Mission of the College of Optical Sciences (OSC) is to provide and internationally preeminent program in education, research and outreach in all aspects of the science and application of light.
The research programs at OSC are comprised of over 50 academic & research faculty; world thought-leaders in optical physics, image science, applied optics & photonics and optical engineering & design.
OSC faculty is internationally renowned and includes Nobel Laureates, professional society presidents and industry executives & entrepreneurs.
Steward Observatory in 1928.
Steward Observatory
Steward Observatory (SO) was officially established in 1916 through the foresight and perseverance of its first director, Andrew Ellicott Douglass. Douglass had come to Arizona in 1894 under the sponsorship of Percival Lowell. He was tasked to establish an astronomical observatory which became Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. After he joined the University of Arizona faculty in 1906, Douglas sought to build an observatory in southern Arizona. Steward Observatory was made possible by the generous bequest made by Mrs. Lavinia Steward in memory of her late husband, Henry B. Steward.The Steward gift was used to build an observatory on an isolated tract of university land — a former ostrich farm. Its construction, delayed by World War I, was finally dedicated in 1923. The 36″ diameter Newtonian telescope was the first astronomical telescope to have been built using All-American made products.
Heritage of Master Craftsmanship
Mr. Robert C. Crawford and Mr. Donald A. Loomis inherited 100 years of master craftsmanship to our group. The OEFF group applies state-of-the-art technologies to all projects with the spirit of their master craftsmanship.
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- Robert Crawford, Master Optician (served 1964-2014) on the primary mirror of Sloan Digital Sky Survey Telescope, 1980s.
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- Donald A. Loomis, Master Optician (served 1963-2014), and his crew behind the 90” primary mirror for the Steward Observatory Bok Telescope. The telescope is located in KPNO, 1968. From left Manny Correa, Dick Sumner, Walter Meinel, Pat Grames, Don Loomis, Lucky Luckett, (unknown), Ray Labelle, Bob McGillacutti and Leo Elmore