On August 22, 2006, Joe Tribbia interviewed Melvyn Shapiro at NCAR in Boulder, Colorado. In this interview, Shapiro reflects on his early life, including his childhood in New York and his family’s move to Sarasota, Florida, where he encountered cultural differences. He shares his experience in high school and his initial lack of interest in academics, despite his eventual development of an interest in meteorology.

On December 14, 1991, Gordon D. Cartwright interviewed Morton J. Rubin for the American Meteorological Society's Tape Recorded Interview Project at Rubin’s home in Bethesda, Maryland. The interview explores Rubin’s extensive career in meteorology, beginning with his early life in Philadelphia, his education at Penn State, and his entry into the field through a civil service examination. Rubin recounts his experiences working for the Weather Bureau, including his tenure as a minor observer in Philadelphia and later assignments at Kylertown, Pennsylvania.

Nelder Medrud begins the interview with a discussion of his life history, education and research prior to arriving at NCAR. Medrud became acquainted with NCAR through Phil Thompson and Henry van de Boogaard while at the University of Stockholm, Sweden in the early 1960s. In the Air Force, Medrud’s specialty was applied climatology and a position opened up at NCAR focusing on applications to societal problems. The immediate focus of Medrud’s work at NCAR was on the matter of the consequences of hail to society.

On October 2, 1989, Tony Hollingsworth, Warren Washington, Joe Tribbia, and Akira Kasahara interviewed Norman Alton Phillips for the American Meteorological Society’s Tape Recorded Interview Project. Phillips recounts his upbringing in Chicago, his early influences in science, and his education, emphasizing his military service during World War II, which introduced him to meteorology.

On October 5, 1983, David W. Phillips interviewed Dr. Patrick D. McTaggart-Cowan at his home in Bracebridge, Ontario, for the Oral History Project of the Canadian Meteorological Service. McTaggart-Cowan reflects on his early life, academic achievements, and groundbreaking career in meteorology and education. Born in Scotland and raised in Vancouver, he earned honors degrees in mathematics, physics, and natural science from the University of British Columbia and Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.

Oral history interview with Peggy LeMone, 2001. Interviewed by Diane Rabson and Nicolle Alida. Interview is about the Electra aircraft. 

Copyright Information: Copyright University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Philip D. Thompson, meteorologist, is interviewed by Joseph Tribbia and Akira Kasahara on December 15-16, 1987, as part of the American Meteorological Society's Tape Recorded Interview Project. The conversation details Thompson's early influences and the formative experiences that shaped his career in meteorology. Growing up in Rossville, Indiana, he was exposed to scientific thinking through his father, a biologist, and his early interest in the natural world was fostered during childhood, particularly through experiences on laboratory boats.

On March 13, 1999, Laura Cochrane interviewed Ralph Papirno at his home in Needham, Massachusetts, for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and the American Meteorological Society Interview Project. Papirno discusses his experiences working as a meteorologist during World War II, detailing his decision to enter meteorology training as an alternative to combat roles. He recounts his prior education, holding a B.A. in mathematics and chemistry from New York University, and his initial employment teaching aircraft propeller maintenance at Chanute Field in Illinois.

On October 30, 2008, Robert Henson interviewed Raymond Ban for the American Meteorological Society and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research's Tape Recorded Interview Project. The interview explores Ban’s early fascination with weather during his childhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and his decision to pursue a career in meteorology at Penn State University. Ban recounts his formative experiences at Accuweather, where he developed forecasting skills and learned about small business dynamics, including marketing and personnel management.

Oral history interview with Rene Munoz, 2004. Interviewed by Stuart Leslie. Topics include: Tour of the Mesa Lab and Mesa Lab’s construction; experiments done at NCAR; bush hammering; Damon room; Margaret Thatcher visit; supercomputing.