Strengthening Fundamental Science in Atmospheric Research: Shared Goals of the AMS and NSF during the 1950s and 60s

Drawing on published reports and archival material, this presentation will examine AMS-NSF interactions during the 1950s and 60s from the perspective of their shared goals: to increase the number of scientists conducting atmospheric research, to train an adequate supply of future atmospheric scientists, and to increase support for fundamental research through the creation of a dedicated research institute. It will examine joint efforts undertaken to fulfill these goals as well as key figures such as Walter Orr Roberts (first director of NCAR) and Sverre Petterssen (AMS President) who embodied institutional connections, while contextualizing AMS-NSF interactions within the larger frame of NSF’s development.

For example, in the late 1950’s, when the National Academy of Science’s Committee on Meteorology charged AMS with stimulating interest in meteorology, the society turned to NSF for support. AMS’s new task fit perfectly within NSF’s statutory duty to foster the development of American scientific education. As a result, NSF funded various projects initiated by the AMS to generate interest in atmospheric research through educational materials and lectures. The presentation will examine this case and several other examples (such as the founding of the National Center for Atmospheric Research) to provide a look at the symbiotic relationship forged between the two organizations in the decades following World War II.