Hiram Mills Perkins (1833-1924) was Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at Ohio Wesleyan University and benefactor of the Perkins Telescope in the Perkins Observatory.^[1] He helped build to observatory buildings and also left an endowment for the school, and also his house was later used as a dormitory before it was sold off.

Perkins taught at the university from 1873 to 1907.^[2]

The Perkins telescope was the 3rd largest telescope in the world when it achieved first light in 1931.

The telescope was eventually moved to Lowell Observatory, and the 69-inch mirror was sent to a museum when it was replaced by a 72 inch one at that observatory.

In 1880 Perkins built a house at 235 W. William St, which was later used as a dorm by OWU.^[3]

Perkin's house survived into the 21st century, and was used as a dorm by OWU university.^[3] The home (later dorm) was located 235 W. William St.^[3] In the 2017 the school sold it off for 170,000 USD, to a developer who planned to convert it into a hotel.^[3]