Edward Emerson Barnard

Edward Emerson Barnard was an American astronomer. He was commonly known as E. E. Barnard, and was recognized as a gifted observational astronomer. He is best known for his discovery of Barnards Star in 1916, which is named in his honor.

Barnard was born in Nashville, Tennessee, to Reuben Barnard and Elizabeth Jane Barnard , and had one brother. His father died three months before his birth, so he grew up in an impoverished family and did not receive much in the way of formal education. His first interest was in the field of photography, and he became a photographers assistant at the age of nine.

Source: Wikipedia