George S. Benton was born on September 24, 1917, in Oak Park, Illinois, and was raised in Chicago. His family had a diverse background, with his mother's family originating from Edinburgh, Scotland, and his father's family immigrating from Rega to Michigan when his father was three years old. Benton's original family name was Blumenstock, but he later changed it to George Benton. Benton's early education was at the University of California at Berkeley, where he was involved with the Department of Geography. However, he did not complete his Bachelor's degree there.

Oral History Interview with Horace Byers, 1987.  Interviewed by Earl Droessler. 

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

Dr. John C. Calhoun was one of the early pioneers and contributors to UCAR/NCAR development. Calhoun became acquainted with UCAR and a plan for developing a national program (the “Blue Book”) while at Texas A&M University in an administrative role. Although Calhoun did not have a background in the atmospheric sciences, he brought valuable institutional perspective, experience in program development and organizational management to the table.

Harriet B. Crowe, born Harriet Barker in 1938, was raised in Mt. Cisco, New York. She was the first member of her family to attend college, a significant achievement given that neither her parents nor their siblings had the opportunity to pursue higher education. Crowe initially attended Michigan State University in 1956 with the intention of studying nursing, a decision influenced by her high school counselor who discouraged her from pursuing her original ambition of becoming a doctor.

Oral history interview with Robert Fleagle, 1990. 

Topics include: how he came to be involved in meteorology; education; time in the Navy; work at MIT; American Meteorological Society; radio casting; industrial meteorology; terms as president-elect, president and past president of AMS; changes technology made to meteorology; forecasting; Center for Operational Meteorological Education and Training (COMET); UCAR; Jim Mahoney; blending meteorology with other sciences; China; Harry Geise; weather modification; Ken Spengler; NCAR.

Daniel F. Rex was born on December 4, 1916, in Wichita, Kansas. His father, a physician, passed away when Rex was only six months old, leading him to be raised by his mother and maternal grandparents. His grandfather, Lloyd Farrell, a telegrapher and pioneer in Wichita, played a significant role in his upbringing and served as a father figure. Rex's early life was marked by adventure and responsibility, including a trip to Yucatan at the age of fourteen to buy 1100 head of cattle.

Vincent J. Schaefer begins by talking about the gathering led by Tom Malone in the late 1950s to generate a plan for a center to work with problems related to the atmosphere. He describes the differences between the majority of the group, and himself and Vonnegut in philosophies, and the ultimate publication of the Blue Book in February 1959. He discusses his relationship with Walter Orr Roberts when Roberts was at the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) and later at NCAR.

Dr. Warren M. Washington is a distinguished scientist and director of the Climate and Global Dynamics division at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). He joined NCAR approximately twenty-seven years prior to the interview in 1990, making significant contributions to the field of atmospheric sciences. In addition to his work at NCAR, Washington has been involved in various external activities, including serving on the first committee to examine climate issues for the academy in the early 1970s.