Lu GAO (1877-1947), born in Changle, Fujian Province. He studied engineering in Belgium and gained his Ph.D. degree in 1905. He served as the director of the Astronomical Institute of the former Academia Sinica (the predecessor of Purple Mountain Observatory, February, 1928 - July, 1929). He was engaged in modern astronomy.

Qingsong YU (1897-1978), born in Xiamen, Fujian Province. In 1918, he began his study of architecture in USA, taking up astronomy later, and received his Ph.D. degree in the University of California in 1926. He succeeded Gao Lu as the director of Astronomical Institute of the former Academia Sinica, and was deputed to the establishment of the Purple Mountain Observatory from 1929 to 1941. He was engaged in the stellar physics.

Yuzhe ZHANG (Y .C .Chang) (1902-1986), born in Minhou, Fujian Province. He was educated in Chicago University from 1923, got his doctorate there in 1929, and returned to China in the same year. From 1941 to 1984, he served as the director of the Purple Mountain Observatory ( emeritus director since February, from 1984 to 1986 ). He was engaged in the observation of the asteroids and orbital determination.

Fu TONG (1936- ), born in Yixing, Jiangsu Province. He served as the vice-director of Purple Mountain Observatory from 1984 to 1986 and the director from 1986 to 1991. He graduated in 1957 from the Department of Mathematics and Mechanics of Peking University. He was engaged in celestial mechanics.

Heqi ZHANG (1935-), born in Zhenghai, Zhejiang Province. He graduated from the department of Physics of Fudan University in 1958. He served as the vice-director of Purple Mountain Observatory from 1984 to 1991, and the director from 1991 to 1996. He was engaged in space astronomy.

Benkui LU (1941- ), born in Haian, Jiangsu Province. He graduated from the department of Astronomy of Nanjing University in 1963 and got his degree at PMO in 1967. He served as the director of Purple Mountain Observatory from 1996 to 2000. He was engaged in celestial mechanics.

Jun YAN (1958- ), born in Nantong, Jiangsu Province. He graduated from of the department of Astronomy of Nanjing University and received his Ph.D. degree in PMO in 1994. He served as the vice-director of Purple Mountain Observatory from 1996 to 2000, and the director from 2000. He was engaged in star formation and stellar evolution. 

Ji YANG (1961- ), was born in JingJiang, Jiangsu Province. He graduated from the department of astronomy of Nanjing University in 1982, and received PhD at Nagoya University in 1990. From 1999, He served as PI of the molecular clouds and star formation research group at PMO. From 2002 to early 2009, he served as the chief scientist of DLH millimeter-wave radio astronomy station in Qinghai and the director assistant of the National Astronomical Observatories (NAO). He served as the deputy (executive) director of PMO from 2008 to Sept. 2011, and was the director of PMO from July 2011 to Feb. 2019.