Lawyer and astronomer. After graduation from Williams College he practiced law for 10 years before devoting himself to amateur astronomy. Rutherfurd designed and made his own instruments for photography and spectroscopy in astronomical observations, often only demonstrating their capabilities before making them available to other scientists. A member of the National Academy of Science and numerous professional societies, Rutherfurd was awarded the Rumford medal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1874 for his "Improvements in the processes and methods of Astronomical Photography."