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 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.

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.

Oral history interview with Robert Fleagle, 1990. 

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

On October 25, 1993, Earl Droessler interviews Robert N. Culnan in Charlottesville, Virginia, for the American Meteorological Society and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Oral History Project. Culnan reflects on his extensive career in meteorology, detailing pivotal experiences that shaped the field over several decades. He recounts his early work with prominent meteorologists, including his 1940 summer with Carl-Gustaf Rossby and Jerome Namias at MIT, where he engaged in isentropic analysis under Victor Starr.

On February 18, 1989, Earl Droessler interviewed Thomas F. Malone at St. Joseph’s College in Hartford, Connecticut, as part of a tape-recorded interview project for the American Meteorological Society (AMS). The interview focuses on developments in atmospheric sciences and the evolution of the AMS since World War II. Malone reflects on his tenure as AMS President (1960–1961), highlighting the pivotal decision to rename the Journal of Meteorology to the Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, marking a shift toward broader scientific engagement.

On May 8-9, 1993, Earl Droessler interviewed Vincent Schaefer, a prominent meteorologist, at his home in Schenectady, New York. The interview explores Schaefer’s background in meteorology, including his work with cloud seeding and his contributions to atmospheric sciences. Schaefer discusses his early career, which was shaped by influential mentors like Dr. Langmuir, and his involvement in the American Meteorological Society.

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.