The National Center for Atmospheric Research, or NCAR as it quickly came to be known, was established in 1960. Located in Boulder, Colorado, NCAR is recognized for its scientific contributions to our understanding of climate change, ozone depletion, solar physics, severe storms and aviation weather hazards. With two major sites in Boulder, I.M. Pei's Mesa Laboratory and a newer Foothills Laboratory, NCAR sends researchers around the world to investigate our atmosphere and its interactions with the Sun, the oceans, and the Earth's surface.

The idea for a center devoted to the study of weather and climate in the broadest sense, grew out of the successes of the young science of Meteorology after World War II. In the late 1950s, meteorology as a scientific discipline began to expand in both importance and impact on the nation's well-being. But there was a shortage of new scientists and a lack of focus in research programs. A national center would provide both resources and momentum for the field.

The National Academy of Sciences appointed a committee to identify the components of a national research effort and ways to increase funding for the atmospheric sciences. The committee envisioned a center that would work in conjunction with the U.S. universities. The center would be a place where people could come to collaborate and exchange ideas, and that would provide the tools needed to study the atmosphere: advanced instruments and observing platforms, computers, scientific reference collections, and facilities for meetings, seminars, and larger scientific conferences. These would be made accessible to researchers around the world.

NCAR has expanded its staff from the five original scientists to over 120 Ph.D. researchers who conduct inquiries into atmospheric chemistry, fluid dynamics, mesoscale and microscale meteorology, solar physics, paleoclimatology, climate modeling, oceanography, and the societal impacts of climate and weather, among other topics. Hundreds of visitors come to NCAR yearly to interact and collaborate with these scientists and to use the vast array of atmospheric sounding and observing instruments. In addition, NCAR is a supercomputing center, supporting the work of university researchers from around the world through the Internet, and providing state-of- the-art scientific visualization capabilities.

The Universities play a central role in both the governance and the oversight of the center. A consortium was created out of the original committee and called the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, or UCAR. Beginning with 14 universities, today UCAR has 62 members from North America, as well as International Affiliates and Academic Affiliates.

The National Science Foundation became the federal sponsor for the new center and was approached for initial funding. In 1961, NSF allocated $450,000 to NCAR, with $1.5 million for 1962 and $6.5 million for 1963. Today, NSF provides over $50 million a year in funding. Other federal agencies such as NASA, NOAA, the FAA and EPA contribute to NCAR's research, along with funding from the private sector.

The success of the original partnerships is evident today. The National Science Foundation continues to be the primary sponsor of NCAR, and UCAR continues to provide the management and oversight for the university community. NCAR celebrated its 35th anniversary in 1995, and we look forward to the next 35 years and beyond. We invite you to browse through our website and learn more about NCAR, UCAR, and the atmospheric sciences.