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DOC

The Biography of Edgar Derry TILLYER

However, no sooner had the family settled into their Southbridge home and Edgar had his laboratory up and running when the United States entered World War I. Edgar's challenge had to wait while the AO changed direction and entered the war effort. It did not take long for Edgar's team to get recognized for their work. During this war, the 37-millimeter telescope sight for the tank repelling guns had been made by France and required a barium crown glass which was available only in France.89 90 This was the best available equipment at the time, but the source was unpredictable and liable to disappear under German attack at any time. The American government pressed the optical manufactures in this country, such as the AO, to design an equivalent sight. The response from these companies was always the same. "We don't have the type of glass we need," they would all reply.

When Edgar heard of the problem, his mind went to work and soon he had redesigned a gun sight so that it could be massed produced with domestically produced ophthalmic glass. The finished product was so impressive that the French government and their military forces admitted it was better than theirs.91 Edgar also developed a basic redesign of the machine gun telescopic sights which were rapidly adopted by the military.92

As the World War I effort intensified, the AO's war effort intensified as well. In 1917, the AO furnished the military with two and one-half million lenses for the troops.93 Edgar continued to make important contributions. One of these contributions was the development of a bomb site for airplanes that was much more accurate than the method they were using at the time.94

Edgar's private life continued, also. In 1919, Edgar's father Lorenzo TILLYER developed kidney cancer. The local doctors suggested that he be evaluated by the specialists in Boston. The Boston doctors examined Lorenzo and told him that his disease was very serious and was incurable. Rather than return directly to New Jersey, Lorenzo went to Southbridge where he broke the news to the family. This greatly upset and depressed Edgar who seemed to personalize this and was sure that he to would develop cancer.

It was also during this visit that Lorenzo told his daughter-in-law, Florence, in the presence of the children, that he felt that Edgar's treatment of her was not right. It was so bad that he said he wanted to rewrite his will so that both Rozena and Edgar would be cut out of any inheritance. He said that he wanted to leave his money entirely to Florence.

Although the money wasn't much, Florence pleaded for him not to do that. She knew that Rozena would fight that will and would win. "The money would go to Rozena first and that would make things even worse," she cried.

Lorenzo eventually agreed but set up his will so that the money would go first to his wife, Rozena, to have during her life. He added a provision that required one thousand dollars would go to each grandson, Richard, Edgar William, and Lynd, to be used for higher education and another thousand was to be given to each boy when they reached twenty-one. Louise received five hundred dollars for higher education and one thousand when she became twenty-one. Lorenzo's son, Edgar would receive the interest on all the money that was left over.95

Florence's headaches continued to increase in frequency and intensity.

Also in 1919, Lynd Francis, their fourth child, was born on August 2.

Bill started school in that year also. For the first few years Bill had trouble writing, insisting on writing everything backward. His wrists were consistently being slapped by Mrs. Buckley, his teacher, because he was writing with his left hand. This constant punishment and frustration at school caused Bill to skip school and to play in the woods. Soon Edgar and Florence were called into the school office for a conference with Mrs. Buckley, the teacher, and a second Mrs. Buckley who was the teacher's sister and the school probation officer. When Edgar discovered that the problems stemmed from the boy's writing problem, he stood up and said in an exasperated tone, "Just let the boy write with his left hand, for heaven sake!" and pulled Florence out of the conference.96

In March 1920, Edgar began spending more time in Dover to be with his father who was becoming increasingly weaker with his kidney cancer. Rozena wrote that this time that Edgar spent with Lorenzo "gave them both great joy." On 30 July 1920, Lorenzo died or as Rozena describes it, he "crossed to the Home where the dear babies were awaiting him." Lorenzo was buried in the family plot of D.A. DERRY in Orchard Street Cemetery, in Dover. This plot was purchased by Daniel DERRY to be used by his own family and their families.97

Orchard Street Cemetary Dover, NJ

Soon the war was over and the frantic pace of the war effort slowed, so the AO was able to return to civilian activities. In 1921, Edgar put the final touches on another invention that allowed the first measurement to effective lens power.98 This invention was an instrument known as a Lensometer. This machine fulfilled the long sought practical and accurate method to detect whether the eyeglass lens had been ground to the precise prescription called for by the eye examination.

The question optometrists and opticians had always asked was "how do we know the lens is accurate and exactly fills my prescription? It is so easy to make a slight error which cannot be detected with what we have now?"

The Lensometer was a mechanical eye with a separate and movable light bulb (which was termed the "target"). The machine received light exactly as the eye does except backwards. Instead of the light coming through the lens of eye and landing on the retina at the back of the eye, the light starts at the "retina" and shines out through the lens. In this machine, the light comes from the target which is the light bulb and radiates up through a telescope-like tube to the lens at that end of the tube. By putting the eye glass lens at the end of the tube, these light rays reached the examiner in the exact way they would reach the eyes of the patient. The light ray deflections were recorded and were easily compared to the prescription and the accuracy to the lens was immediately determined. "This machine had been needed for as long as lenses had been ground and at the time was considered one of the greatest inventions in ophthalmic science. All the instrument lacks to make it a real human eye is an optic nerve and a mind."99

Another helpful feature of this machine was that it could be used to measure fragments of broken lenses to make replacements quicker and easier.100

Another of Edgar TILLYER's inventions made about this time was a means to apply invisible markings to lenses which only became visible when someone blew their moist breath on them.101

In the early 1920's, Edgar developed an interest in ultraviolet and infrared light, the invisible portions of the light spectrum. Edgar described this interest in 1941. He wrote that our eyes are "sufficient to adapt to ordinary intensities" of light. However, the increase in outdoor activities and increase in the industrial use of high intensity light is causing a "problem of adequate protection against excessive visible and invisible rays."

In 1924, after years of research, Edgar was able to "blend in careful balance ferrous and ferric iron ingredients and other oxides" to produce an olive green lens with both high ultraviolet and infrared absorption.

This new glass was called Calobar102 and was immediately used in industry to protect against "radiation which causes tired and irritated eyes." It was later used by the United States Air Corp. to solve the problem of aviator headaches and eyestrain.103 The AO in a brochure described Doc's basic concept and development of ultraviolet and infrared ray absorptive lens with selective high visible light transmission was the first effective approach to high quality sunglasses. The new Calobar lenses, became the standard for the Army and Navy prior to World War II.104

It was at this point in Edgar Derry TILLYER's life that he was becoming aware that he was famous and an important person. He was receiving visits from government officials and receiving praise and accolades from the media. However, when asked by the Rutgers Alumni Association to provide some biographical material, Edgar wrote back, "Helped the Navy get good submarine periscopes; wrote their specifications during transitions from poor to good ones. Wrote many naval gun sight specifications. Designed some gun sights. Have a few dozen patents in the optical art. Nothing of much importance."105

Edgar tried to be a father to his children. He had a sand box and swings built in the back yard and he would take his family to the railroad station as the troops were passing through Southbridge or Worcester and they wave flags and cheer them on.106 He never helped Floss with the children or their household activities or homework, however. 107

The household was run by the clock. Floss awakened the children and fed them their breakfast. The children's breakfast was cereal, toast, prunes, milk and an occasional egg. Florence would preach the benefits of hot cereals such as oatmeal. Edgar would have a heavier breakfast consisting of fruit, meat (his favorite was two eggs on hash), cereal, toast and coffee. At noon they had their main meal which was usually was meat, potatoes, vegetable and a dessert. At the sound of the AO noon whistle, all the children came home from school to eat and Edgar came home from the plant. The AO had a loud whistle that echoed throughout town telling all that it was time to start work, time to break for lunch and time to get back to work and finally time to quit for the day.

Supper was always at 6:00 P.M. After the supper, Edgar would lay down for a brief nap then he'd do things like build radios, study journals or read the newspaper. After a few hours of reading, Edgar would pull out his mechanical pencil and go to work on the problem of the day. He would sketch and formulate equations while sitting in his old stuffed chair in the living room well into the night. The children, of course, gave him wide-berth when he was doing his work; they didn't understand much of what he was doing anyway. Edgar always sat in his chair with his feet on the foot stool. He seemed to be perpetually doodling when actually he was brainstorming some new project.108

Edgar believed that a woman should always think and do as her husband did and be beaten if she didn't. This, of course, was not how Floss was brought up. Things were getting more intolerable for Florence. "Teddie ROOSEVELT treated his horses better than you treat me," she'd sob but Edgar would just walk away.109

While Floss took part in as many civic activities as Edgar would allow her to attend, he thought these duties were trivial and never participated in them himself. Edgar became ever more suspicious of his wife's time out of the house and when she went to women's club meetings or similar meetings he accused her of meeting another man. This jealousy and physical abuse continued and Florence continued to try to ask him for a divorce. At one point he boasted, "You'll never leave me. Go ahead, try. If you leave, you'll never see the children and I'll give all my secrets to the Germans."110 Florence, of course, never did leave.

Edgar had a natural affinity for mechanical devices new and innovative. He felt comfortable and confident with his ease at understanding the new concepts and fresh ideas. At this time the automobile was still a new and adventurous machine. As such, these were important to Edgar. Buicks were his choice of vehicles and it had to be the biggest model available.

When the children were young, he'd buy the Buick touring model with open sides. When it rained, Edgar would have to stop (usually in the middle of the road) and put up the Isinglass windows or the passengers would get wet. If they were only a few miles from home, however, Edgar considered it a waste of time to stop so sometimes the family would arrive at Maple Street soaked through to the skin.111 Every Sunday the TILLYER family would take a drive into the country. This would be a "silent" drive because the children were not allowed to make any noise and Florence was not allowed to talk during the drive.112 Edgar's Buick's always had the latest gadgets. He was proud of these and did allow conversation if it involved showing and explaining these accessories and toys.113

One evening as the family was eating their supper, Bill looked out the window at the "Hupmobile" owned by Mr. Watson, the next door neighbor. Bill noticed what appeared to be a fire under the car. "Pop, why does Mr. Watson's auto have a fire under it?" It was an innocent question. Automobiles where still mysterious to the children then and perhaps they were supposed to have a fire under them. Edgar leaped from his chair and raced out of the house shouting, "Watson, get out here!" Together they managed to get the fire out without much more commotion.114 Generally, however, Edgar was aloof from his neighbors and showed little interest in them.115 This detachment from the neighbors even applied to the BOYLES family living next door to him on the railroad side. Their son, John, became a famous movie star in Hollywood in the early years.116

Back in the research laboratory in 1926 a momentous event was about to occur. After years of work and a huge safe full of fat ledgers loaded with computations, the 46-year-old Edgar TILLYER finally completed the lens that the AO so desperately had been searching for.117 First, Edgar had developed the TILLYER Principle which established the basic principle for a corrected curve lens in 1917. Then with his assistants in his research laboratory, he spent the next nine years translating this principle into a complete series of lenses for the eyeglass industry that corrected practically every type of visual defect.118 Finally, in 1926, Edgar TILLYER patented a series of lenses that controlled "off-axis power and astigmatism errors" which were to become the TILLYER Lens.119

What Edgar Derry TILLYER and the AO Research staff had done was to produce a corrected curved lens that would improve the optics of the conventional six base lenses. Edgar TILLYER conceived a "step" system that used a limited range of selected base curves. Each base curve was calculated in steps so that just before off-axis errors approached a level that could adversely affect the patient's vision, the next base curve would take over. This discovery allowed the AO to provide a practical way to eliminate off-axis visual errors.120

In recognition of his accomplishment, the lens was called the "WELLSWORTH - TILLYER Lens."121 No ophthalmic lenses had ever received so much study, research, and subsequent praise.122 His new basic principle created marginal corrections which were as accurate as the correction in the center of the lens for the first time in history.

One AO promotional publication stated that the application of the meticulously formulated TILLYER Principle to create the TILLYER Lens was one of the greatest developments in the progress of optical science. This offered the best solution to correct both spherical and cylindrical errors at the lens margin. Until that point lenses could correct one error but not both.123 (Note: spherical corrections are used for problems in distance and close vision; cylindrical corrections are used with astigmatic problems).

"I do believe that this has given me more satisfaction that anything else," Edgar said about his world famous lens.124

It was at this time that the name "WELLSWORTH" was officially dropped from the lens and it became the "TILLYER Lens."

The AO created a division of the company called The TILLYER Lens Company. Its function was to promote and sell the TILLYER Lens. As part of that effort, the TILLYER Lens was announced in a full page ad in the December 1929 issue of the Saturday Evening Post magazine. The company commissioned the painter, Norman ROCKWELL, to create this advertisement. He painted himself as a young man wearing eyeglasses. ROCKWELL's picture shows ROCKWELL as a teenage boy at this bedroom desk wearing eyeglasses and working on a wooden airplane model. There is a small dog sleeping at his feet. The text asks if his eyes are having as much fun as he is then goes on to describe the new TILLYER lens as the most comfortable lens available. 125

Edgar said, when asked about his feelings when he was asked to develop this lens way back in 1916, "I knew less about ophthalmic lenses at the time than anything else." 126

Another selling point for the superior quality of the TILLYER lens was that fact that it was polished with a newly created process that used "non-elastic polish."127

Edgar's influence was felt strongly on the AO since he had arrived in 1916. However, as it was pointed out by one of Edgar's co-worker's, even though Edgar was hired in 1916, his effect on the AO had been felt well before he arrived. In the metrology 128 laboratory, there was a set of highly valued master lenses which had been calibrated at the National Bureau of Standards. This set of lenses had an NBS Certification of Calibration that bore the date "February 11, 1916" and the familiar initials "EDT". These master lenses were used to calibrate lens curvatures. They themselves had been measured by Edgar while he was at the National Bureau of Standards. So any optical surface which had been calibrated against these standards could be certified as having an accuracy traceable to the Bureau of Standards. In the ophthalmic world, these lenses were unique to the AO in the 1980's. No other ophthalmic optical company had such traceablilty to the Bureau. Edgar's influence on the AO had indeed started before he arrived.129

About this time Edgar took up the hobby of photography. Edgar had a cottage at a nearby lake. He'd often take his motor boat or canoe out by himself and take pictures of the sunset or the ducks or the surrounding trees. He enjoyed this time to relax and enjoy the quiet and solitude that this photography gave to him.130 He often spoke at an amateur photographer's club at the "technical" high school (Trade School) in Southbridge. He also spoke about optics and astronomy to these classes. Students reported that when Dr. TILLYER spoke his enthusiasm about his subjects was so contagious that he inspired them to go into the optical profession. 131

He also became interested in begonias and day lilies. The small backyard on Maple Street gently sloped down to the house. This was Edgar's garden where he grew these flowers in the summer. He used the greenhouse built on the side of the house to continue his horticultural work in the winter. One of his interests with these plants was his desire to develop various strains and crosses. However, when he was asked about his ability to make these plants prosper and reproduce he said irritably, "I don't breed them. They're hard enough to grow without worrying about breeding them."132 Edgar often brought spectacular begonias into the office; the beautiful blossoms were enjoyed by all those in the Research Laboratory.133

His interest in the nature and botany did not extend to regular yard work, however, and he made his sons maintain the yard. Edgar required his wife to do the housework and maintain the household. He gave her an allowance to do that. He, however, paid for the gas and electricity and other utilities by sending them a rather large check and telling the utility companies to notify him when they needed another check. Edgar would have nothing to do with the monthly bill and payment routine.

Religion was not important to Edgar and he would have nothing to do with that either. It was important to his wife though and Florence saw to it that all the children regularly attended Sunday School. A few times a year Edgar would relent and allow Florence to attend church herself.

Edgar enjoyed tennis and badminton. There was an unwritten rule that Edgar was to win these games and the last time that he played tennis was the time that his oldest son, Richard, beat him. He lost interest in the game after losing to his son.134 However, he did admit his game was not what it had been.135 When the children were older, the family enjoyed playing bridge.136 Doc also developed a new system to use in bridge strategy which, unfortunately, was not infallible.137

In 1926, Edgar bought a used Model "T" Ford for Dick to use for transportation back and forth to Rutgers in New Jersey. Louise was in her last year of high school at the time was allowed to use it before Dick came home to pick it up. Edgar drove the Ford home and parked it in front of the house telling Louise, "you have to shift with your feet." Louise knew nothing about this strange method of shifting since she learned to drive using the standard shift type car. She was left to learn how to drive this car by herself. For the first few months she had such a difficult time shifting into reverse she always parked it so that she would not have to back up. She, Bill and Bill's friends all had a great time and a big laugh at her attempts to drive that car. 138 139

Eventually Edgar sent all his sons to Rutgers and sent Louise to Douglass, the woman's college adjacent to Rutgers and considered the sister school to Rutgers. He insisted that his children attend Rutgers to prove that he was in fact a success. Family stories say that in Edgar's college yearbook one of his peers had written that he, Edgar, should be chosen as "the person least likely to succeed."140

Incidently, Bill was involved in a serious automobile accident on his way to his first semester at Rutgers. One person was killed and another injured in the collision. The injured person sued Bill. Bill missed the first semester of that year because of his injuries and lawyer visits.141 The community, when they read newspaper accounts of the accident said they felt that Bill would "get out of it" because of the importance of the TILLYER name at that time.

It was about this time in the history of the TILLYER family that Bill became fully aware of the domestic problems at home. On several occasions Bill would argue and fight with Edgar about Edgar's treatment of Bill's mother. Several times Bill would be in tears of anger and shout at his father, "If you hit Mama again, I'll hit you!"142 This, of course, was a very private era where people did not mind the business of others especially the business of a very unapproachable and famous person as Edgar. He "specialized" in inflicting bruises on his wife in "non-public areas," areas that were easily covered by clothing.143

In the office, things could be difficult at times, also. Esther BARNES came to work for Edgar as his secretary in 1926. For the first six months Esther said that she "was sorry to make the change. Doc was very temperamental and difficult to work for," she said diplomatically.

"I almost quit several times," Esther continued. "One day, first thing in the morning, I had a call from Norman PRICE [one of the AO's executive officers] requesting that I make Doc answer a letter from him which should have been answered three weeks before."

Norman PRICE told her to tell Edgar that it must be answered that day. Esther looked up when Edgar walked into the office that morning and said, "Doc, the first thing I want you to do is answer a letter sent to you by Norman PRICE three weeks ago."

Edgar flew into a rage, shouting, "No secretary of mine is going to tell me what to do!" He grabbed a pile of papers on her desk and threw them all over the floor.

Esther became just as angry and concerned for her safety. She grabbed her coat and purse and stormed out of the office. Papers swirled and fluttered behind her. She went directly home to be comforted and encouraged by her parents. They were able to convince her to return and at one o'clock that afternoon she hesitantly and fearfully returned to her job. As she edged back into the office, Esther noticed that the papers had been cleared from the floor and everything else had been returned to order.

Edgar walked back into the office about fifteen minutes after she arrived. "Hello, Esther," he said pleasantly. "I want to talk to you." He placed his fedora hat on a chair and removed his gray suit coat. He stood in front of her for a minute as he thought of the correct words to use. He was dressed in his dull gray vest and long sleeved white shirt. Then strode over and hopped up on her desk. He squatted down, looking straight into Esther's confused and fearful eyes.144 Later Esther said, "Doc actually did squat on the desk. He came over, swept the papers off the desk and climbed right on up and squatted in front of me."145

After a moment of silence, Doc said, "I have been looking at new Buicks. I want to take you up to the agency and get a first-class opinion."

The astonished secretary stammered, "Sure."

Together, they went up to the Buick dealer in Southbridge. She said "yes" she did like the car that Edgar wondered about and suggested he go ahead buy it. He took her suggestion and bought the new Buick. Esther said that things went pretty well after that and that experience allowed them both to understand each other better.146 She worked for Doc for the next ten years as his secretary and she never said that she wondered whether Florence would like the Buick.

In March of 1928, Edgar TILLYER visited Rutgers probably to arrange for the June ceremonies when he would be awarded a doctorate. While there he inspected VAN DYKE Hall, the new physics building on campus. There is no indication of his impression of the building.147

In June 1928, Edgar returned to the Rutgers campus to receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree as part of the one hundred and sixty-second commencement ceremonies at the school. Edgar was called up to the dais and the presenter spoke these words, "Edgar Derry TILLYER, being honored for scientific achievements in the Naval Observatory and Bureau of Standards of the United States.

Doc gets honorary degree

"Distinguished for notable service to his country during the great war by improvement of the telescopic gun sights.

"Invented the TILLYER lens and author of the standard periscope specifications for the United States Navy

"Director of one of the leading research laboratories in the United States in the field of optics.

"Your Alma Mater, recognizing you as one who has brought distinction to its instructions in physical and mathematical sciences, confers upon you the degree of Doctor of Science."148

When he returned to Southbridge, his staff and co-workers started to call Edgar "Doc." This nickname seemed to fit the man and became his name for the rest of his life although he never used this title or signed any of his papers or articles using any reference to "doctor."

Doc's mother, Rozena, died on 9 November 1928, at her home in Hightstown. Doc returned to Dover to participate in her burial ceremony. She was buried in the DERRY family plot in the Orchard Street Cemetery next to her husband.149

Four months later, on 16 March 1929, Florence's father, William LaRue LYND, died in Dover and was buried in the Locust Hill Cemetery in Dover.150 When he died at the age of 72, the whole town observed his funeral. The schools, factories and businesses closed in respect of this man. His thoughtfulness and care put the Richardson and Boynton factory back to a working basis relatively quickly after the 1914 fire allowing the hundreds of idle employees to return to work.151

Doc probably felt true shock and sorrow at this loss because he seemed to respect his father-in-law. This was uncommon for Doc to respect a "non-scientist." He usually ignored people who could not understand math or physics but every summer Doc would bring his family to New Jersey to visit the LYND'S. The children loved to be around their Nana and Grandpa and had a wonderful time there. Doc never lost his composure or became impatient or angry while he was visiting them.152 153

Please contact me with any comments, additions, corrections or anything else involved with Doc's biography.

We hope that you find this useful and interesting

Tim TILLYER

jtillyer@sdcoe.k12.ca.us