His dissertation related to measuring optical properties of fluorite at 1216 angstroms was completed under Theodore Lyman.
[4] Tousey taught and conducted research at Harvard from 1933 to 1936, then Tufts until 1941.
Hulburt, Tousey joined the Naval Research Laboratory where his initial work focused on night vision.
Using captured V-2 rockets made available for research at White Sands Missile Range, he was able to measure the first ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of the sun.
[5] Tousey died of pneumonia on April 15, 1997, at Prince Georges Hospital Center in Maryland.