Hall of Fame Member Biographies
Dr. John T. Snow
The nation is well aware of the prominence of weather research being conducted in Oklahoma and its employment of cutting-edge technology; much of this national recognition stems from the work of John T. Snow, Professor and Dean of the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Snow earned a Ph.D. in atmospheric science from Purdue University in 1977. He stayed at that institution as a faculty member until he was recruited to Oklahoma in 1993 to be Dean of the then College of Geosciences. At the University of Oklahoma he developed a master plan to create the National Weather Center, a state-of-the-art facility housing a unique confederation of academic, state, and federal organizations to investigate weather phenomenon and use the resulting knowledge to improve forecasts for the public and industry. The Weather Center programs have earned international recognition as leaders in weather-related education and training, research and development, and weather forecasting and other meteorological services. Dr. Snow possesses an envious record of scholarly publication; moreover, he has served on numerous advisory boards at the state and national levels addressing issues in education, science, and weather services. His commitment to science education for young people has been extensive and was recognized by the American Meteorological Society when it presented him its Anderson Award. He served 28 years as one of three senior editors for the “Journal of Atmospheric Research,” a testament to his high standing within the meteorological profession. In 2005, Dr. Snow was awarded the American Meteorological Society’s Cleveland Abbey Award for service to the Society and the profession. It is with great gratitude for his outstanding achievements that the Heritage Society inducts Dr. John T. Snow into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame.