Oral History
Interview Control Form
Name of Interviewee: Mr. Gordon Cartwright (Age 91)
Name
of Interviewer: Brian Shoemaker
Date
of Interview: 9 May 2000
Place
of Interview: Mr. Cartwright’s home in San Rafael, CA
Number
of Tapes: 2 (3 sides)
Restrictions:
No
Cataloged : Yes
Transcribed: Yes
Abstract of Contents:Mr. Cartwright was a pleasure to work with. He is in remarkably good health and his mind is as alert as a man 30 years younger. He began a career with the US Weather Bureau in 1929 and served in positions of increasing responsibility witnessing all of the major developments in meteorological data collection and forecasting, the advent of satellites for weather reporting, the creation of NOAA from the USWB and other agencies and the USWB role in the Arctic and the Antarctic. He retired from NOAA in 1975 in Geneva where he had been the United States Representative to the World Meteorological Organization for many years. Highlights of his career:
- During
WWII he organized a series of weather reporting stations along the ALCAN Highway for reporting
Arctic weather conditions.
- Organized
the Arctic Project Office of the USWB under Glenn Dyer in the late 1940’s.
This office later became the Polar Project Office with the advent of the IGY.
Dyer’s assistant Chief was Edward Goodale (of Byrd 1928 Antarctic fame).
Young Kendall Moulton was also a member of the staff. Both Moulton and
Goodale later transferred to the NSF Office of Polar Programs when it was
formed in 1959.
- Developed
the Joint Arctic Weather Reporting System (JAWS) with the Canadians in the
Arctic including stations in the Canadian Arctic Archipellago in the
late 1940’s and early 1950’s. Groomed numerous wearther observers who
would later serve in Antarctic as well as Arctic (See Wessbecher interview).
Also was the agency that developed the weather reporting system that later
would be used in IGY.
- Funded
the construction of the initial weather reporting bases at Resolute and
Alert. Today Alert is a major Canadian Air Base and Resolute is a major
Canadian Arctic research station.
- During
CSAGI meetings in Paris 1954, Dr. Harry Wexler negotiated an agreement with
the Russians to exchange scientists during the IGY. They felt that it would
be important to send someone with an international reputation and Gordon
Cartwright was selected.
- Mr.
Cartwright relates his experiences with the Russians at Mirny Station during
IGY.
- Mr.
Cartwright was relieved by DR. Mortimer Rubin who was the second exchange
scientist at Mirny Station.
- Cartwright
relates his later experiences with USWB, NOAA and the WMO.
This is an
outstanding interview for early transcription. Mr. Cartwright played a major
role in developing the polar weather reporting system in the Arctic that was
later used as a model for the Antarctic. His role in developing the rapport in
the exchange scientist program with the USSR was also important.
The World
Meteorological Organization (WMO) contracted for a series of oral interviews
with those who played a key role in its development in1994. Mr. Cartwright was
included in the ensuing book of those
who shared this honor. A copy has been included in his file.