The Formative Rossby-Reichelderfer Period in American Meteorology, 1926–40

Abstract

By working together between 1926 and 1940, two young meteorologists, Carl-Gustav A. Rossby and Francis W. Reichelderfer, played catalytic roles in the following facets of American meteorology: 1) starting a model airway weather service, 2) initiating a national academic program in meteorology, 3) establishing and guiding a postgraduate level training program for military weather officers, 4) overhauling the federal weather service, and 5) creating a reservoir of top-quality technical manpower for the postwar United States. How they accomplished this is not only interesting history of science, but also a dramatic lesson in teamwork, the use of friends, and the willingness to overlook minor differences in order to achieve national-level goals.