Army Air Force Pre-meteorology Program records
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Scope and Content
The records consist of material related to the Army Air Force Premeteorology Program at Bowdoin College. Examinations, grade sheets, course materials, academic credits and are included. Some photographs, broadsides, and pamphlets used for recruiting and informational packets are also contained in the records.
Dates
- Creation: 1942-1944
Creator
- Bowdoin College (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions.
Biographical / Historical
From 1942 to 1944, Bowdoin College hosted the Army Air Force Pre-Meteorology Program, part of a nationwide effort to train military meteorologists during World War II. The program prepared cadets for aviation weather forecasting through rigorous coursework in mathematics, physics, and meteorology.
The program was structured into three courses: "B," "C," and "A." The "B" course lasted six months, while the "C" course spanned 12 months, with its final six months overlapping with the "B" curriculum. Graduates of either course advanced to the "A" program as cadets for further training. Admission to the "B" course required applicants to be between 18 and 30 years old, while the "C" course was limited to those aged 18 to 21.
Records from the program include course materials, exams, and grade sheets, reflecting Bowdoin’s role in wartime education and its contribution to military scientific training.
Extent
2 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Program during the second world war that prepared officers for careers in meteorology and weather forecasting at Bowdoin College.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically.
- Title
- Guide to the Army Air Force Premeteorology Program Records
- Status
- In Progress
- Author
- Emma Barton-Norris
- Date
- 2025
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine 04011 Repository