Todd Glickman
American Meteorological Society Centennial Oral History Project
In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of theAmerican Meteorological Society, interviews were conducted with its many members and leaders. These interviews serve to recognize the strength, diversity, and accomplishments of the AMS community, from the beginning right up to today.
For more information, visit: ametsoc.org/index.cfm/ams100/oral-histories/
Todd Glickman is a former editor of the Glossary Second Edition and a pioneer in the field of meteorology. He started his career as a radio broadcaster for Weather Services Corporation in Bedford, Massachusetts in the late 1970s. Glickman was one of the first employees of WSI Corporation, a company founded in 1979 with the mission of transforming raw National Weather Service information into value-added products for meteorologists. His work has been instrumental in the development of private sector meteorology, particularly in the use of computers and technology to process and disseminate weather information.
Scope and Content Note
This interview with Todd Glickman, conducted by AMS archivist Jinny Nathans on January 8th, 2019, provides a detailed account of the origins and development of public-private partnerships in meteorology. Glickman discusses the growth of private sector meteorology after World War II, the role of consulting in providing weather-related services to commerce, and the emergence of companies like AccuWeather and Weather Services Corporation. Glickman also talks about the transformative role of technology in meteorology, particularly the use of mainframe computers like the PDP-8, PDP-11, and PDP-10 to process weather information into value-added products. He discusses the founding of WSI Corporation and its mission to transform raw National Weather Service information into products that could be used by other meteorologists. The interview also covers the challenges and debates around accessing raw information from the National Weather Service, the use of packet switching and satellite delivery to communicate data, and the early days of selling information. Glickman also discusses the development of graphics and the use of digital GOES data, the revolution of color satellite imagery on television, and the National Weather Service’s NEXRAD program. Glickman's account provides valuable insights into the evolution of meteorology, the role of technology in this field, and the development of the private sector in meteorology. The interview also highlights the collaborative efforts between different companies and the National Weather Service in advancing meteorological services.
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