Farrington Daniels , was an American physical chemist, is considered one of the pioneers of the modern direct use of solar energy.
Daniels was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 8, 1889. Daniels matured as a man with a religious and altruistic outlook, something nurtured from the time he entered Sunday school at age four in Westminster Presbyterian Church. He began day school in 1895 at the Kenwood School and then on to Douglas School. Early on he enjoyed history, painting, and geography, and ironically disliked arithmetic. He also enjoyed camping, baseball, and telegraphy. As a boy, he was fascinated with Thomas Edison, Samuel F. B. Morse, Alexander Graham Bell, and John Charles Fields. He decided early that he wanted to be an electrician and inventor. He attended Central and East Side high schools. By this point he liked chemistry and physics, but equally enjoyed Manual Training. He took an interest in electric motors, stamp collecting, collecting birds eggs, and caring for pets. His favorite book was titled Experimental Science.
Source: Wikipedia