Francis Reichelderfer

Francis Wilton "Reich" Reichelderfer (1895-1983) led the U.S. weather services from 1938 to 1963.

U.S. Navy
Originally trained as a chemical engineer, he joined the U.S. Navy, as a reservist, in 1916, becoming involved in weather and serving as Chief of Navy Aerology from 1922 to 1928. The Navy to Norway, in 1931 for further studies in air mass and frontal analysis. Following this assignment, he had a tour of duty at sea on the battleship USS Oklahoma, then back to the Navy dirigible service, and finally to sea as executive officer of the battleship USS Utah.

Weather Bureau
When the head of the existing civilian Weather Bureau died in 1938, Reichelderfer retired from the Navy and became the head of the Weather Bureau.