William Kellogg
UCAR/NCAR Oral History Collection
The NCAR/UCAR Oral History Project documents the history of NCAR/UCAR through interviews, recorded discussions, and lectures by staff and others. The project initially had a strong focus on the creation and development of NCAR, including the design and construction of the Mesa Laboratory headquarters by I.M. Pei. Over the years, the project has expanded to include a wider range of topics and experiences within NCAR/UCAR history.
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William Kellogg begins by describing his first acquaintance with the NCAR concept, and his belief in the benefits of team research or big science. He notes the first retreat meeting at Keystone and offers examples of problems that required an interdisciplinary approach. He mentions chairing a group for a larger study called the "Study of Critical Environmental Problems" ("SCEP" study for short), which wrote on human influences on climate, and discusses the challenges of getting scientists to work together, relating an anecdote about having to fire a dynamic meteorologist. He mentions the increase over time in interdisciplinary work including Metromex, which provided a model for other projects, and discusses the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), International Geophysical Year (IGY), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He details his approach to encouraging interdisciplinary work at NCAR and notes the Line Island Experiment as a successful model. Kellogg continues by describing his experience with the Joint Evaluation Committee, and the increasing importance of atmospheric chemistry work. He mentions several influential people, especially Rex, and offers his recommendations for the future of NCAR, including expanding the post-doc program. He then details the changing relationship between NCAR and universities, and points out the positive light in which the international scientific community holds NCAR.
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