Walter Orr Roberts

Building HAO, NCAR, and a Foundation for Scientific Innovation in Boulder

Map of High Altitude Observatory campus in Climax, Colorado, including Wollander Residence, Quonset Residence, Physics lab, water and sewer lines.

High Altitude Observatory

Map of the High Altitude Observatory at Climax, Colorado

The High Altitude Observatory (HAO) was founded in 1940 by Walter Orr Roberts and his doctoral advisor, Donald Menzel. The solar observations conducted at the observatory proved very useful to the war effort during World War II, and the laboratory continued to grow after the war. HAO expanded to include facilities at Sacramento Peak Observatory, and eventually Mauna Loa Observatory. Roberts and HAO also partnered with the University of Colorado, and ultimately Roberts became the first leader of the National Center for Atmospheric Research and HAO became its first laboratory.

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University of Colorado at Boulder Boulder, Colorado Writings and Achievements

Walter Orr Roberts was a renowned scientist, leader, and pioneer in the fields of solar-terrestrial study, astronomy, and climate science. He established and directed the High Altitude Observatory (HAO); founded the Department of Astro-Geophysics at the University of Colorado-Boulder (CU-Boulder); served as the first director of the National Center for Atmopheric Research (NCAR); the first president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), and led the Program on Food, Climate, and the World’s Future at the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies. He was a tireless advocate for an active response to climate change, international scientific collaboration, and science education. Beyond these individual accomplishments, he built a scientific community in Boulder, creating long-lasting partnerships, including those between NCAR, HAO, and CU-Boulder that continue to grow and thrive today.

This exhibit brings together material from the NCAR Archives and the Special Collections, Archives, and Preservation at the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries to tell the story of Walter Orr Roberts and his significant impact on the institutions he was involved with, and his lasting legacy in the scientific enterprise.