John Bossler
NOAA Heritage Oral History Project
NOAA Heritage Oral History Project aims to document the history and legacy of NOAA through compelling interviews with its leaders. These firsthand accounts provide an invaluable resource that preserves NOAA's significant contributions to environmental research and management, fostering a deeper understanding of NOAA's vital role in shaping our understanding of the Earth's oceans and atmosphere.
Molly Graham
Dr. John Bossler was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in 1936. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in civil engineering in 1959 and went to work for the Coast and Geodetic Survey. John earned a master's and PhD in Geodetic Science from Ohio State University. Until 1986, John served as Director of the Coast and Geodetic Survey (C&GS) and the National Geodetic Survey (NGS). As Director of C&GS, he was an Admiral in the NOAA Commissioned Corps. In 1987, Bossler became a professor and Director of the Center for Mapping at Ohio State University. He retired from OSU in 1997 and has been consulting since.
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