Benjamin West (March 1730 – August 26, 1813) was an American astronomer, mathematician, professor, and author of almanacs.
[4][3] Immediately after the war West opened another school in Providence[1] and then taught at Philadelphia's new Protestant Episcopal Academy from 1787 to 1788.
[3] In 1786 he was appointed Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at Rhode Island College (now known as Brown University), and assumed this position in 1788.
Upon leaving Rhode Island College West moved to Newport to start a school of navigation in his home.
[1] West exchanged letters with other learned men about questions of science such as gravity, magnetism, matter, and the physical nature and properties of air.
[1] In addition to his tracts on astronomy and his almanacs, Benjamin West wrote about subjects such as algebra, geometry, fluxions, maxima and minima, and navigation.
His papers included tables in which he had calculated the transits of Mercury and Venus, the places of the sun and moon, and eclipses for years beyond his lifetime.
[4][3] The honorary Master of Arts degree from Cambridge College coincided with his observations of the transits of Venus and Mercury and Lexell's Comet.
[3][4][6] While teaching at Rhode Island College in 1792, he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws for his distinguished services in the cause of science.