Douglas K. Lilly was a renowned meteorologist who had a significant impact on the field of atmospheric sciences. Although Lilly completed his undergraduate work in physics at Stanford University on a Navy ROTC scholarship, he always envisioned going into meteorology.

Ed Martell was a distinguished nuclear scientist with a focus on atmospheric chemistry, radioactive material, and nuclear science in general. His academic journey began at West Point, where he graduated in the class of 1942. Following his graduation, Martell served as an officer in the Corps of Engineers for eight years, participating in combat in the Pacific during the Second World War. After the war, Martell had the opportunity to further his studies at the University of Chicago as a lieutenant colonel. It was here that he earned his Ph.D. in nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry in 1950.

On October 28 and November 6, 1987, Chester Newton interviewed Professor Eric B. Kraus for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and the American Meteorological Society's oral history project. Kraus discusses his early life, including his birth in Liberec, Czechoslovakia, in 1912, and his education in Switzerland and Vienna before pivoting from business to meteorology. Influenced by travel experiences and interactions with figures in science, Kraus pursued studies in meteorology, eventually assisting prominent meteorologists in Bergen, Norway, just before World War II.

On January 24, 2003, Joseph Tribbia and Michael Chen interviewed Ferdinand Baer for the American Meteorological Society’s Oral History Project at the Center Green facility in Boulder, Colorado. Born in Germany in 1929, Baer discusses his early childhood during the rise of the Nazi regime, detailing how his family’s escape from Germany to Scranton, Pennsylvania, shaped his upbringing. His father, involved with the Underground, was placed in protective custody by townspeople when Nazis invaded their small town, prompting the family's emigration.

On October 22, 1993, Julius London interviewed Frank Haurwitz, discussing his family background, educational journey, and career in atmospheric sciences. Haurwitz reflects on his early life in Toronto and Boston, where his father, Bernhard Haurwitz, a prominent figure in meteorology, played an influential, though sometimes challenging, role in his academic choices. Haurwitz describes his transition from mathematics to physics at Brandeis University, later shifting to meteorology at the University of Michigan due to difficulties in physics and a desire to understand his father's field.

On October 22, 1990, Norman Phillips interviewed George Platzman in the Chapman Room at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) for the American Meteorological Society's Tape Recorded Interview Project. Platzman discusses his early life in Chicago, including his father's work as an auditor for Universal Pictures and his mother's career as a piano teacher. He recalls his education, particularly the influence of his high school mathematics teacher, Bulla Schussman, who instilled rigorous intellectual habits.

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.

On September 9, 1989, Dr. Joanne Simpson interviewed Herbert Riehl for the American Meteorological Society and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Tape Recorded Interview Project. Riehl discusses his pioneering contributions to tropical meteorology, including his early work during World War II under Carl-Gustav Rossby, his involvement in training weather officers for the U.S. military, and his groundbreaking studies on the energy dynamics of tropical storms.

In this interview I.M. Pei, chief architect of the Mesa Laboratory and the Fleischmann Building, speaks passionately about his inspirations; the placement of the structures and the relationship between building and setting; the design process, down to the selection of materials; and how the Mesa Laboratory marked a very important turning point in his career.

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

Topics include: Mesa Lab site; time on Boulder City Council; time in Climax; Boulder's open space policy; Walter Orr Roberts; Mesa Lab construction; I.M. Pei; fund raising; HAO; Mesa Lab design; computers; roof leaks; Aspen Institute; music; the humanities and science.

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