Loomis was born in
Coventry,
Connecticut, on May 22, 1822. He graduated from
Wesleyan University in 1844 and earned a degree in
medicine from
Georgetown University in 1856. Previous to his study at Wesleyan, Loomis had taught at
Holliston Academy in
Massachusetts; after graduating from college, he was principal of Western Academy in
Washington, D.C., and subsequently became professor of
physiology at Georgetown. He was
astronomer to the
United States Coast Survey in 1857, and instructor in mathematics to naval cadets in 1860. From 1861 to 1867, he was professor of
chemistry and
toxicology at Georgetown, subsequently serving as
dean at
Howard University until 1869. Later, Loomis invented a process for producing a
textile fabric from
palmetto, a method for utilizing
ores of
chromium, and various improvements in instruments of precision, among other inventions. Loomis died in
Fernandina Beach,
Florida on June 22, 1896. ==Selected works==