(1880-1962) A specialist in terrestrial magnetism, and President of the Society (1922-23).

WALTER ERASTUS WEDDEL JACKSON (1880-1962) was born in Newmarket, Ontario. His mother's family name was Weddel; his father was Editor of the Newmarket Era. After attending local schools, he went to the University of Toronto where he received his B.A. in 1905 and M.A. in 1906. Even before graduating he joined the Meteorological Service in 1904 and the RASC in 1905. Jackson worked for a time at the Toronto Observatory, and made measurements of double stars and other observations with the 15-cm refractor. He then served as meteorologist with Captain Bernier in the first official Canadian explorations of the Arctic in 1908-09. This led to some papers in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Canada and an address to the RASC. His special area of expertise was in terrestrial magnetism, at that time a vital part of the Meteorological Service and in the course of his duties he travelled in Hudson Bay and Strait, worked at the Magnetic Observatory at Agincourt, Ontario, and established the Magnetic Observatory at Meanook, Alberta, in 1916. Jackson became Assistant Director of the Meteorological Service in 1929, and in 1936 was transferred to the Dominion Observatory in Ottawa where he was in charge of all the magnetic work done at Canadian observatories.

Within the RASC, he was especially active in the 1920s when he spoke at a number of meetings, published several papers and reports in the Journal and served as Vice-President and President. Other professional connections included membership in the International Meteorological Organization and the Geodetic and Geophysical Union.

—Peter Broughton (from Looking Up)

Further Reading

• On the Diurnal Changes in Magnetic Declination at Agincourt, 1902-1912, JRASC (September 1915)
• The Great Aurora of August 26, 1916, JRASC (January 1917)
• A New Form of Clock Synchronizer, JRASC (June 1917) with F.L. Blake
• The Montreal Centre of the R. A. S. C., JRASC (November 1918)
• The Work of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and a Review of Astronomical Progress in 1922, JRASC (March 1923)
• Aurorae, Sunspots and Magnetic Variations during 1921, JRASC (December 1923)
• A Review of Astronomy during 1923, JRASC (March 1924)
• Agincourt and Meanook Magnetic Results, 1922-23, JRASC (July 1924)
• Agincourt and Meanook Magnetic Results, JRASC (July 1925)
• Results from the Toronto Meteorological Observatory, JRASC (September 1925)
• Agincourt and Meanook Magnetic Results for 1925, JRASC (September 1926)
• Agincourt and Meanook Magnetic Results for 1927, JRASC (October 1927)
• Magnetic Values for Agnicourt and Meanook, JRASC (December 1930)
• Agincourt Magnetic Data 1899-1937 and the Sunspot Cycle, JRASC (December 1939)