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.

On August 24, 1992, George P. Cressman was interviewed by Warren Washington, Norman Phillips, Ron McPherson, and Jim Howcroft at the National Meteorological Center in Camp Springs, Maryland, as part of the American Meteorological Society's oral history project. Cressman discusses his early interest in meteorology, sparked by his upbringing in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and the influence of local cooperative observer Harlan Saylor.

George Robert Bailey was born in November 16, 1925, in Mount Victoria, Maryland.  George spent his formative years in Charles County, Maryland. Having received his education in the public schools of Charles County, George embarked on a career as a waterman. His expertise extended beyond the sea as he showcased his culinary mastery by serving as a chef for several establishments in the region, including White House, Robertson's, and Fin & Claw. In his later years, George transitioned to a role at Camp St. Charles in Rock Point, Maryland.

On December 14, 1991, Morton J. Rubin interviewed Gordon D. Cartwright, a meteorologist residing in Geneva, Switzerland, for the American Meteorological Society Tape Recorded Interview Project. Cartwright recounts his early life in Newcastle, Pennsylvania, and how his interest in science, sparked by early exposure to publications like Collier’s Magazine, led him to a career in meteorology. He details his career progression within the U.S. Weather Bureau, beginning in 1929 at the Pittsburgh office, and his work in aviation meteorology, river forecasting, and upper air observations.

Helen joined the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1988 as Director of the Office of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution, in the NOAA Satellite and Information Service.  For more than 15 years she directed the operation of a space and Earth-based system that processed and distributed real-time data gathered by NOAA and other environmental satellites to support activities such as weather forecasting, ocean and climate monitoring, and satellite-assisted search and rescue. 

Dr. Ian Enochs is the co-principal investigator of ACCRETE (Acidification, Climate, and Coral Reef Ecosystems TEam), NCRMP (National Coral Reef Monitoring Program), and AOAT (Atlantic Ocean Acidification Test-bed (NOAA) ). Dr. Enochs is the principal investigator of three projects: 1) Maug: a rare ocean acidification hotspot in US waters, 2) Incorporating Risk from Ocean Acidification into Acropora nurseries, and 3) Establishing numeric nutrient criteria for Southeast Florida Reefs. Enochs graduated cum laude from the University of Miami in 2006 and later earned his Ph.D.

At that time, you didn’t buy the oysters.  You bought the man and the boat.  Now, the white man got from five to ten cents more on a bushel than the colored person got.  Same oysters, but that’s the way they worked the system.

Dr. Jeanette Davis is a Marine Microbiologist who currently serves at NOAA Fisheries in the Office of Policy  where she conducts research and provides support on programs and policies regarding resources in the ocean. Dr. Davis was first exposed to the marine environment as a student at Hampton University during an internship where she lived on a 53-foot sailboat for a month, exploring the Chesapeake Bay. She earned a B.S. in Marine and Environmental Science from Hampton University and a PhD. in Marine Microbiology from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Dr. Jerome "Nick" Heffter served as a research meteorologist at OAR's Air Resources Lab. He was a pioneer in modeling the dispersion of nuclear radiation and other atmospheric pollutants during the Cold War.  Nick tracked the release of nuclear radiation from Chernobyl in 1986 and reported it to US leaders before Russia informed the world of what is considered the worst nuclear accident in world history.  Currently, Nick is retired from NOAA, but works as a contractor at the Air Resources Lab.

Scope and Content Note

Joe Evjen was born in 1967 in Gainesville, Florida. His father served briefly in the Navy, and his brother attended the Naval Academy. Evjen was active in the Boy Scouts and developed an early interest in orienteering. He pursued a degree in surveying and mapping at the University of Florida and became interested in the Coast and Geodetic Survey. Evjen graduated in December 1990 and joined the NOAA Corps in January 1991.