Vincent E. Lally
American Meteorological Society Oral History Project
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On July 13, 1993, Will Kellogg interviewed Vincent E. Lally in Boulder, Colorado, for the American Meteorological Society's Tape Recorded Interview Project. In the interview, Lally reflects on his career in meteorology and atmospheric science, beginning with his education in Brookline, Massachusetts, and subsequent studies at Boston College and MIT. He recounts his involvement in radar operations during World War II and later roles developing meteorological instruments, initially at the Friez Instrument Division and subsequently with the U.S. Air Force's Geophysics Research Directorate, where he contributed to Project 119-L, a program involving high-altitude balloons used for reconnaissance over Russia. Lally describes his contributions to scientific ballooning and the development of super-pressure balloons capable of long-duration flights. This work led him to the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), where he established the National Scientific Balloon Facility in 1961. Lally shares details about early balloon launch operations, his work with NCAR to support scientific ballooning on a national level, and his advocacy for advanced weather observation systems. He also discusses the establishment of the Global Horizontal Sounding Technique (GHOST) program, which involved international cooperation for global weather monitoring. Lally concludes with reflections on the significance of balloon technology in meteorological research and the collaborative efforts required to advance atmospheric science.
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