(1928-) DO/NRC astronomer, Journal Editor (1970-75), Society President (1980-82), Honorary President (1989-93), Service Award recipient (1974).

IAN HALLIDAY (1928-) was born in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan but took his B.A. from the University of Toronto in 1949, winning the RASC Gold Medal. Except for a year at the University of California in Berkeley, he continued at U oft for his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. Halliday joined the Positional Astronomy Division of the DO in 1952 but, after receiving his doctorate, transferred to the Stellar Physics Division, specializing in meteor spectroscopy. When the DO closed in 1970, he went to NRC as a Senior Research Officer in the Planetary Sciences Section. During his very productive career, Halliday not only continued his work on meteors and comets but investigated the diameter of Pluto, studied craters for meteoritic evidence and set up a twelve-station meteorite recovery project in western Canada (MORP). As an authority in his field, he belongs to several international societies, and has received a number of honours including the distinction of having a minor planet named for him.

Ian Halliday began speaking at RASC meetings while a graduate student at Toronto and continued to do so, on occasion, throughout his career. He served Ottawa Centre as Secretary, Vice-President and then as President in 1961. He was the author of many papers and reviews in the Journal, prepared a regular feature called "Advances in Astronomy" and was the Assistant Editor (1964-69) and Editor of the Journal (1970-75). The Society recognized its very good fortune in having someone of Halliday's calibre, willing and able to carry out these duties on top of family life and a strenuous research career, and paid tribute to his generous nature and natural courtesy when presenting the Service Award to him in 1974. His dedication to the RASC continued during his term as Vice-President. President and Past-President (1976-86) and as Honorary President (1989-93).

—Peter Broughton (from Looking Up)

Further Reading

• JRASC articles by Ian Halliday