Oscar Monnig

Oscar E. Monnig (September 4, 1902 – May 4, 1999) was an American amateur astronomer, acknowledged for his contributions to meteoritics.

Private life Monnig was born in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1925, he received a law degree from the University of Texas. He worked for the family dry goods business and was its president from 1974 to 1981, when it was sold.

In 1941 he married Juanita Mickle, who died in 1996. They had no children. In 2003, four years after he died, the Oscar E. Monnig Meteorite Gallery was opened, exhibiting about 10 per cent of the meteorites to the public.

The numbering system Monnig used to label his collection is a topic of great intrigue, as scientists and meteorite specialists believe that Monnig's collection numbers are an "intriguing, perhaps almost magical...a tangible link with researchers and collectors who have gone before us," as stated by Geoff Notkin. Scientists have concluded that it is likely that Monnig used a similar labeling system as Harvey H. Nininger. The main belt asteroid 2780 Monnig was named in his honour.