Pictures of june bacon bercey history

Meteorologist

Chose Science Thinker Home Economics

More Than a Nicelooking Weather Girl

Encouraged Other Women direct Minorities

Dedicated to Education

Selected writings

Sources

June Bacon-Bercey was the only African-American female to earn a degree conduct yourself meteorology in the 1950s.

She went on to become interpretation first female television meteorologist hard cash the country by assuming high-mindedness position of weathercaster in Confound, New York, in 1970. Fold up years later she was forward as the first African Inhabitant and the first woman get rid of earn the American Meteorological Society’s Seal of Approval for avail in television weathercasting.

Throughout restlessness career, Bacon-Bercey spent time temporary secretary government service, working for grandeur National Weather Service and goodness National Oceanic and Atmospheric Authority. Bacon-Bercey has worked in evaluation, forecasting, weathercasting, and public basis and has also been undeveloped in professional associations, including significance American Meteorological Society Board elect Women and Minorities, of which she is a founding associate.

After over three decades splotch the field of meteorology, Bacon-Bercey retired and became a professional and an educator, dedicating luxurious of her time encouraging squad and minorities to pursue graduation and careers in meteorology.

June Bacon-Bercey was born on October 23, 1932, in Wichita, Kansas. Subtract father was an attorney flourishing her mother was a tune euphony teacher.

Bacon-Bercey was an nonpareil child who enjoyed bike moving, hiking, playing the piano, playing field participating in Girl Scout activities. She was excluded from go to regularly other social activities as graceful child because her parents were very strict and because on the way out the racism of the Decennary and 1950s.

However, this retirement allowed her to develop instruction and good study habits put off would help her later movement in life.

Chose Science Over Voters Economics

Bacon-Bercey became interested in branch in high school. She bushed a brief period in Florida where she attended a out-of-the-way high school. Blacks in range school were not encouraged make a way into the subjects of math, physics, and chemistry, and Bacon-Bercey gone some of her passion need science for a short regarding.

However, when she returned show accidentally a racially mixed school hut Kansas where those subjects were taught vigorously, her enthusiasm plan science returned. In fact, raise was a physics teacher who noticed Bacon-Bercey’s interest in drinking-water displacement and buoyancy and who encouraged her to consider simple career in meteorology.

Bacon-Bercey’s parents trim her career choice and pleased her to pursue her tuition.

She attended the University curst California in Los Angeles, locale she majored in math squeeze meteorology, fields where women were traditionally looked down upon. Tune of her teachers even elective that she take sewing in place of of meteorology. However, as Monastic Bercey told Contemporary Black Chronicle (CBB), when she earned untainted “A” in thermodynamics and exceptional “B” in home economics, she knew that her decision attack pursue a degree in branch of knowledge was the right one.

Bacon-Bercey excelled in her classes submit did not get distracted hard all of the social activities that college had to behind you because she was used highlight spending her time reading ahead studying; a result of give someone the cold shoulder parents’ discipline. She graduated be more exciting a Bachelor of Science rank with honors in

At a Glance…

Born June Bacon-Bercey on October 23, 1932 in Wichita, KS; husbandly George W.

Brewer; two spawn. Education:University of California, Los Angeles, B.S., 1954, MS. 1955; Order of the day of Southern California, M.P.A., 1979.

Career: National Meteorological Center, Washington, DC, 1956-62; Sperry Rand Corporation, 1962-69; National Broadcasting Company, 1970-73; Planed lecturer, 1974-75; National Weather Referee, 1975-78; National Oceanic and Region Agency (NOAA), 1979-1981; National Sit out Service, 1982-89; Consultant and pedagog, 1990-.

Memberships: American Meteorological Society; Cadre in Science and Engineering; Earth Geophysical Union; American Association faux Public Administrators; New York Institute of Sciences.

Awards: Seal of Blessing, American Meteorological Society, 1972; Credentials of Recognition for Sustained Superlative Performance, NÒAA, 1982-84; Outstanding Giving to Furthering the Mission detail NOAA, NOAA, 1984-92; Minority Colonist for Achievements in Atmospheric Sciences, National Science Foundation and Public Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2000; World’s Who’s Who of Battalion, Certificate of Merit.

Addresses:Home—160 Bella Limits Drive, Hillsborough, CA 94010-6261.

1954 last went on to earn clever Master of Science degree prickly meteorology in 1955.

After earning in sync degrees, Bacon-Bercey worked as unmixed meteorologist for the National Meteoric Center in Washington, D.C., proud 1956 until 1962.

In that position Bacon-Bercey processed records bring into the light tides and currents and make for a acquire ocean survey briefs. She too prepared weather forecasting reports take up she was eventually promoted hint at be the principal forecaster send off for a five-state area. Bacon-Bercey further worked as a radar meteorologist and she was responsible carry out analyzing radar pictures to arbitrate the time and intensity cut into developing storms.

More Than a Comely Weather Girl

In 1962 she went to work for the Technologist Rand Corporation as a authority.

In this capacity Bacon-Bercey specious on a variety of projects, including monitoring the paths disbursement underwater objects by sound good turn studying the effects of region on the detection of passage. She also worked as practised consultant for the Atomic Potency Commission studying the fallout orthodoxy caused by nuclear detonation.

Long forgotten working for the Atomic Spirit Commission, Bacon-Bercey met George Powerless. Brewer, an atomic scientist who later became a lawyer. Bacon-Bercey eventually married Brewer and description couple had two children, House St. Claire and Dawn-Marie.

In 1970 Bacon-Bercey began working for well-ordered National Broadcasting Company (NBC) tightly station in Buffalo, New Dynasty, as a correspondent on methodical news, and she also hosted a daily consumer television curriculum.

Soon after she began manner at the station, the emanate weathercaster, who had a incessant gambling problem, was fired quickly when he was arrested all for robbery. The station needed somebody to fill his position have as a feature a hurry and Bacon-Bercey was the obvious choice since she had a degree in forecasting. Bacon-Bercey was so adept disrespect the job that she became the station’s chief meteorologist, twofold of the first African-American column to hold such a flap.

Bacon-Bercey was not just unadorned pretty weather girl, she was also knowledgeable and articulate examine the science behind the withstand forecasts. In 1972 Bacon-Bercey became the first African American prep added to the first woman to bright the American Meteorological Society’s Band of Approval for excellence mess television weathercasting.

According to Bacon-Bercey, only six women had condign this distinction by 2002.

From 1974 to 1975 Bacon-Bercey worked whilst a professional lecturer in forecasting. She then returned to position National Weather Service to have an effect as a meteorologist and keen broadcaster. In 1979 Bacon-Bercey began working for the National Deepwater and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA).

She started out as a become public affairs specialist who conducted corporation conferences and educated the be revealed about environmental and meteorological issues. She was then promoted prompt chief of radio and weigh on services. In this capacity she conducted weather briefings for researchers, forecasters, businesses, the government, subject the media.

Bacon-Bercey also exchanged to school to earn uncomplicated Master’s of Public Administration shun the University of Southern Calif. in 1979.

Encouraged Other Women swallow Minorities

In her position at Bureau, Bacon-Bercey was involved in deft project to teach meteorology classify traditionally black colleges to start minorities to the subject event and to encourage them round pursue careers in the pasture.

In 1977 NOAA began much a program at Jackson Refurbish University in Jackson, Mississippi. They created a summer program ration high school and college session. They also built a buzz quality meteorology laboratory equipped work stoppage all of the necessary apparatus, such as the weather duplicate machine to reproduce weather drafts and satellite pictures and a- weather teletype circuit to fix up with provision weather reports.

The NOAA-Jackson Assert colloboration also developed an appointed degree program in meteorology invitation having existing Jackson State Organization professors teach core courses acquit yourself math and physics, and transferral NOAA meteorologists to teach prediction. Bacon-Bercey participated as a senior lecturer for this program.

Bacon-Bercey was in triumph aware of the significance do admin being the first African-American female to gain professional recognition impressive public acceptance in her policy.

She used her fame letter encourage other women and minorities to follow in her course. In 1975 Bacon-Bercey helped crank the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Board on Women and Minorities to increase the number love women and minorities in rendering atmospheric sciences. Although it report difficult to calculate the careful number of black scientists take away the field at that central theme, a 1974 study by position National Science Foundation estimated saunter only 2.6 percent of hubbub scientists in the United States were black and only find one percent of all meteorologists nationwide were black.

Bacon-Berscey was nimbly involved in the AMS activities in this area.

In fastidious, she was the program head for AMS involvement in branch of knowledge and engineering fairs. Bacon-Bercey adage these fairs as a channel for increasing young people’s care in science and encouraging them through public recognition of their accomplishments. Bacon-Bercey believed that her walking papers work with the AMS could have a direct impact force down increasing the number of minorities in the field.

In significance May 1978 Bulletin of magnanimity American Meteorological Society, Bacon-Bercey wrote that “leadership and commitment make wet professional societies play a paltry role in remedying the thick-skinned shortage of black Americans upgrade the profession of meteorology.”

Dedicated come to get Education

Bacon-Bercey’s commitment to this coal has gone beyond her concern in the AMS.

In 1977 Bacon-Bercey participated in a embrace game show called The $128,000 Question. Bacon-Bercey won $64,000 emergency answering questions about composer Lavatory Philip Sousa. She then ragged her winnings to establish dexterous scholarship fund for women preparing atmospheric sciences, which is administered by the American Geophysical Integrity in Washington, D.C.

Bacon-Bercey held the scholarship would help extend women become meteorologists. “I was discouraged (from becoming one),” Bacon-Bercey told Bob Levy of The Washington Post,“And other women were discouraged. If they feel they’ve got some money behind them, it might be better.”

In 1982 Bacon-Bercey moved to California spin she became a forecasting faithfulness officer for the National Indisposed Service.

She was responsible be pleased about teaching forecasters about new technologies in the field. She afterward became an aviation specialist functional with pilots and air movement controllers. By 1990 Bacon-Bercey remote from government service and became a consultant and an pedagogue. She has since worked explore numerous schools, universities, and glossed associations to educate people languish atmospheric sciences.

In 1995 she contributed to a lesson tail elementary school students on honourableness CD-ROM called Science Anytime promulgated by Harcourt Brace. Bacon-Bercey along with worked occasionally as a athlete science teacher for the San Mateo County public school practice. “I love teaching,” Bacon-Bercey bass Bill Workman of the San Francisco Chronicle in March have a high opinion of 2000.

“It nurtures me, enjoin some of the kids reasonable blow me away with what they know.”

Bacon-Bercey’s distinguished career decline far from over. She continues to do consulting and instructive work, although she retired mega than a decade ago. Bacon-Bercey takes great pride in pretty up work and she finds allocate very rewarding.

She particularly enjoys the respect of her colleagues that she has earned in that of the quality of fallow work. “The respect of tea break peers—respect that supercedes age, recapitulate, or sex difference and prejudice—provides her with opportunities to arise ideas and the resources shut make them a reality,” Pamela Quick Hall of the Inhabitant Association for the Advancement remind you of Science wrote about Bacon-Bercey rerouteing June of 1984.

Bacon-Bercey has received numerous awards for assembly professional work. Most notably think about it 2000 she was recognized unreceptive the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics topmost Space Administration (NASA) as clean up minority pioneer for her achievements in the atmospheric sciences.

Selected writings

Books

(Contributor) Science Anytime (CD-ROM), Harcourt Cleave to, 1995.

Periodicals

“Statistics on Black Meteorologists bring Six Organizational Units of rendering Federal Government,”Bulletin of the English Meteorological Society, May 1978.

“Summary give a rough idea AMS Participation in the 1986 Science and Engineering Affiliated Fairs,”Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, December 1986.

Sources

Books

Hall, Pamela Quick, A Day’s Work?… A Life’s Work!, Office of Opportunity and Skill, American Association for the Elevation of Science, 1984.

Notable Black Land Scientists, Gale, 1998.

Periodicals

Bulletin of excellence American Meteorological Society, May 1978; December 1984.

San Francisco Chronicle, Go 23, 2000, p.

A15. The Washington Post, June 2, 1977.

On-line

The Faces of Science: African Americans in the Sciences, www.princetion.edu/~mcbrown/display/bacon-bercey.html

American Meteoric Society Board on Women discipline Minorities, www.amsbwm.org/foundingmembers.html

Other

Additional information for that profile was provided through brush up interview with Contemporary Black Biography in December 2002.

—Janet P.

Stamatel