Loomis School/Natural Sciences Institute, 1949-1990, Undated
- Extent:
- 17.0 cubic ft.
- Scope and content:
-
Around the time of Schaefer's break with Munitalp, the American Meteorological Society (AMS, of which Schaefer was a member) approached him to inquire about the possibility of setting up a summer science program for promising high school students. They decided on the existing Loomis School in Windsor, Connecticut as the location for their summer program, which began in 1959 with the support of the National Science Foundation. Schaefer and his colleagues wanted to give academically strong students with a particular interest in science the opportunity to attend extra lectures and, more importantly, experiment with hands-on projects of their choosing. Schaefer and his AMS associates hoped to cultivate a love of learning and passion for discovery that would encourage teens to follow scientific career paths. Although the program began as a males-only endeavor, it eventually welcomed females into its ranks later in the 1960s.
The Loomis School summer sessions (also known as the Atmospheric Sciences Program) became so successful that the Charles F. Kettering Foundation gave it financial backing in the early 1960s. As director, Schaefer was then able to expand the program to include field stations around the country so that more young people could participate and the opportunities for hands-on experimentation and discovery multiplied considerably. Within a couple of years of the program's beginning, Schaefer's work attracted the attention of Dean Oscar Lanford and President Evan Collins of what was then the New York State Teachers College. As the Teachers College expanded into the present-day State University of New York at Albany in the 1960s, the summer science program moved under the auspices of the school and became known as the Natural Sciences Institute, or NSI, which flourished through the 1960s as it welcomed college students to its ranks. Schaefer phased out the NSI in the early 1970s after determining that the program had met its goals.
- Arrangement:
-
Arranged alphabetically, with the exception of the reports and publications which are chronological.
Contents
Using these materials
- Access:
- The archives are open to the public and anyone is welcome to visit and view the collections.
- Collection restrictions:
- Access to this record group is mainly unrestricted with the exception of fourteen folders in Series #5, the Natural Sciences Institute, and two folders in Series #6, the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center. Researchers with inquiries about this material should contact the head of archives.
- Collection terms of access:
- The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives will provide information about copyright owners and other restrictions, but the legal determination ultimately rests with the researcher. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Head of Special Collections and Archives.