Chet Ropelewski is a meteorologist who began his career in an unconventional way. Unlike many of his peers who developed an interest in meteorology from a young age, Ropelewski's initial interest was in geology and geophysics. He pursued a bachelor's degree in physics, which he completed in June 1964. However, he soon realized that he did not enjoy modern physics, particularly quantum mechanics. Ropelewski's career path took a turn when he received a draft letter from his draft board shortly after his graduation. He decided to join the Air Force, which had a program that allowed individuals with a college degree to go to officer training school and get commissioned as an officer. He was given two options for specialization, one of which was weather forecasting. Despite having no prior interest in the field, he chose it over the other option, avionics munitions. After his training, Ropelewski was assigned to Penn State for a one-year course in weather forecasting. He later became involved in organizing annual workshops aimed at getting students interested in studying climate, a field that was not widely studied at the time. He also served as the chair of the Climate Variations Committee.

Scope and Content Note
This interview with Chet Ropelewski provides a detailed account of his journey into the field of meteorology and his contributions to the study of climate. He discusses his early interest in geology and geophysics, his decision to study physics in college, and his unexpected entry into the field of meteorology due to the military draft. Ropelewski also talks about his time in the Air Force, where he was trained as a weather forecaster, and his subsequent assignment to Penn State for further studies. He shares his experiences of organizing annual workshops to encourage students to study climate and his tenure as the chair of the Climate Variations Committee. The interview also touches on the evolution of the annual meetings of the American Meteorological Society (AMS), from their informal beginnings to their current, more formal structure. Ropelewski reflects on his experiences attending these meetings over the years, noting the changes in the demographics of the attendees.