Interview of Mort D. Turner by Brian Shoemaker
Key Individuals Mentioned 1. Edwin Hubble – p.2 2. Dr. Edgerton – p.2 3. Dr. Goddard – p.3 4. Dr. Werner von Braun – p.4 5. Laura Pérezy Mendez – p.4, 20 6. Tom Jones – p.6, 8, 16, 21, 34, 36, 41, 42 7. George Toney – p.7, 8, 41 8. Phil Smith – p.7, 8, 41, 42 9. President Eisenhower – p.7 10. John M...
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Format: | Other/Unknown Material |
Language: | English |
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Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program
2007
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1811/28654 |
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ftohiostateu:oai:kb.osu.edu:1811/28654 |
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Open Polar |
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Ohio State University (OSU): Knowledge Bank |
op_collection_id |
ftohiostateu |
language |
English |
topic |
National Science Foundation (U.S.). Office of Polar Programs -- History Polar regions -- Discovery and exploration -- Interviews Antarctica -- Discovery and exploration -- Interviews Turner Mort D. -- Interviews |
spellingShingle |
National Science Foundation (U.S.). Office of Polar Programs -- History Polar regions -- Discovery and exploration -- Interviews Antarctica -- Discovery and exploration -- Interviews Turner Mort D. -- Interviews Turner, Mort D. Interview of Mort D. Turner by Brian Shoemaker |
topic_facet |
National Science Foundation (U.S.). Office of Polar Programs -- History Polar regions -- Discovery and exploration -- Interviews Antarctica -- Discovery and exploration -- Interviews Turner Mort D. -- Interviews |
description |
Key Individuals Mentioned 1. Edwin Hubble – p.2 2. Dr. Edgerton – p.2 3. Dr. Goddard – p.3 4. Dr. Werner von Braun – p.4 5. Laura Pérezy Mendez – p.4, 20 6. Tom Jones – p.6, 8, 16, 21, 34, 36, 41, 42 7. George Toney – p.7, 8, 41 8. Phil Smith – p.7, 8, 41, 42 9. President Eisenhower – p.7 10. John Mullingan – p.10, 29 11. Ed Zeller – p.10, 11, 15, 17, 19, 29 12. Ernie Angino – p.10 13. Bob Nichols – p.11 14. Charles Bentley – p.13 15. John Behrendt – p.13, 30 16. Cassidy – p.13 17. Harry Hess – p.17, 23 18. Frank Foley – p.17 19. Berty Crary – p.19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 42 20. George Llano – p.17, 41 21. Bernie Lettow – p.19 22. Joanne Church Dort – p.20 23. Lamont – p.21, 23, 25 24. Bob Dietz – p.23 25. Ed Thiel – p.24 26. Chet Langley – p.26 27. Gorden Robin – p.27 28. Lyle McGinnis – p.31 29. David Elliott – p.33, 35 30. Ned Colbert – p.33 31. Scott – p.36 32. Larry Frakes – p.36, 40 33. John Crowell – p.36 34. Finn Ronne – p.38 35. Jerry Huffman – p.41 36. Helen Gerasimou – p.42 37. Cruxent – p.45 38. Mary Alice McWhinney – p.46 Dr. Turner graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a major in Geology in the Department of Mining in the College of Engineering. The Army Reserve permitted him to complete his college degree before going to Aberdeen Proving Grounds. At Aberdeen, Edwin Hubble assigned Mort to the exterior ballistics division, where his primary task was to photograph projectiles flying through the air. Later, he worked with Dr. Goddard in tracking rockets. Dr. Turner helped survey the White Sands Proving Ground and worked with Dr. Werner von Braun. After leaving the army, Dr. Turner earned an M.S. in Geology and did the field work in Puerto Rico. Before completing his thesis, he accepted a position with the State Geological Survey in San Francisco. After a few years, he accepted a position as the State Geologist of Puerto Rico. In 1959, Dr. Turner joined the National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs as a project officer. He served in many capacities until his retirement in 1985. It was considered desirable for him to have a Ph.D. He studied in the Department of Geology at Kansas and used his Puerto Rico work for part of the thesis. Upon return to NSF, he was in charge of geology and geophysics and recruited many of the important scientists during this time. Dr. Turner discusses the problems of maintaining research projects when the budget is cut. He also discusses some of the ice core storage problems. In the 1960s and 1970s, the research projects tended toward large groups. It became difficult to convince scientists to do projects in Antarctic. The Bureau of Mines was interested in identifying and locating mineral deposits. Dr. Turner observed that bureaucracy increased under the Nixon administration. The Navy resisted the sending of women scientists to Antarctica. The Navy did not want a scientist from the University of Venezuela to go because he was on the wrong side in the Spanish Civil War. Upon Dr. Turner’s retirement from NSF in 1985, he went to the University of Colorado in Boulder. Major Topics 1. Dr. Turner’s educational background. 2. His work for Edwin Hubble at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. 3. He photographed the flights of rockets developed by Dr. Goddard. 4. As an employee of California State Geological Survey he worked on industrial minerals. 5. His position as State Geologist in Puerto Rico. 6. National Science Foundation Office of Antarctic Programs. 7. The pressure to earn a Ph.D. the selection of Kansas, and how his work was handled at NSF are described. 8. The discovery of various fossils in Antarctica supported the continental drift theory. 9. Bureaucracy grew under President Nixon. 10. The transition from Navy to NSF funding is discussed. Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. |
author2 |
Shoemaker, Brian |
format |
Other/Unknown Material |
author |
Turner, Mort D. |
author_facet |
Turner, Mort D. |
author_sort |
Turner, Mort D. |
title |
Interview of Mort D. Turner by Brian Shoemaker |
title_short |
Interview of Mort D. Turner by Brian Shoemaker |
title_full |
Interview of Mort D. Turner by Brian Shoemaker |
title_fullStr |
Interview of Mort D. Turner by Brian Shoemaker |
title_full_unstemmed |
Interview of Mort D. Turner by Brian Shoemaker |
title_sort |
interview of mort d. turner by brian shoemaker |
publisher |
Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1811/28654 |
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ENVELOPE(102.867,102.867,-65.867,-65.867) ENVELOPE(12.739,12.739,65.935,65.935) ENVELOPE(-65.133,-65.133,-67.200,-67.200) ENVELOPE(158.317,158.317,-80.867,-80.867) ENVELOPE(160.783,160.783,-77.450,-77.450) ENVELOPE(-153.167,-153.167,-86.267,-86.267) ENVELOPE(-70.183,-70.183,-70.650,-70.650) ENVELOPE(-72.259,-72.259,-75.313,-75.313) ENVELOPE(-117.700,-117.700,-76.800,-76.800) ENVELOPE(169.567,169.567,-71.983,-71.983) ENVELOPE(-64.074,-64.074,-74.330,-74.330) |
geographic |
Antarctic Elliott Finn Hess Hubble Cassidy Dietz Colbert Huffman Frakes Von Braun Crowell |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Elliott Finn Hess Hubble Cassidy Dietz Colbert Huffman Frakes Von Braun Crowell |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica ice core National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica ice core National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs |
op_relation |
2 audio tapes available in the OSU Archives Polar Oral History Program Record Group Number: 56.8 http://hdl.handle.net/1811/28654 |
op_rights |
Restrictions: This item is not restricted. |
_version_ |
1766092959120359424 |
spelling |
ftohiostateu:oai:kb.osu.edu:1811/28654 2023-05-15T13:37:31+02:00 Interview of Mort D. Turner by Brian Shoemaker Turner, Mort D. Shoemaker, Brian 2007-07-16T20:02:37Z application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/1811/28654 en_US eng Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program 2 audio tapes available in the OSU Archives Polar Oral History Program Record Group Number: 56.8 http://hdl.handle.net/1811/28654 Restrictions: This item is not restricted. National Science Foundation (U.S.). Office of Polar Programs -- History Polar regions -- Discovery and exploration -- Interviews Antarctica -- Discovery and exploration -- Interviews Turner Mort D. -- Interviews Transcript 2007 ftohiostateu 2020-08-22T19:19:00Z Key Individuals Mentioned 1. Edwin Hubble – p.2 2. Dr. Edgerton – p.2 3. Dr. Goddard – p.3 4. Dr. Werner von Braun – p.4 5. Laura Pérezy Mendez – p.4, 20 6. Tom Jones – p.6, 8, 16, 21, 34, 36, 41, 42 7. George Toney – p.7, 8, 41 8. Phil Smith – p.7, 8, 41, 42 9. President Eisenhower – p.7 10. John Mullingan – p.10, 29 11. Ed Zeller – p.10, 11, 15, 17, 19, 29 12. Ernie Angino – p.10 13. Bob Nichols – p.11 14. Charles Bentley – p.13 15. John Behrendt – p.13, 30 16. Cassidy – p.13 17. Harry Hess – p.17, 23 18. Frank Foley – p.17 19. Berty Crary – p.19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 42 20. George Llano – p.17, 41 21. Bernie Lettow – p.19 22. Joanne Church Dort – p.20 23. Lamont – p.21, 23, 25 24. Bob Dietz – p.23 25. Ed Thiel – p.24 26. Chet Langley – p.26 27. Gorden Robin – p.27 28. Lyle McGinnis – p.31 29. David Elliott – p.33, 35 30. Ned Colbert – p.33 31. Scott – p.36 32. Larry Frakes – p.36, 40 33. John Crowell – p.36 34. Finn Ronne – p.38 35. Jerry Huffman – p.41 36. Helen Gerasimou – p.42 37. Cruxent – p.45 38. Mary Alice McWhinney – p.46 Dr. Turner graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a major in Geology in the Department of Mining in the College of Engineering. The Army Reserve permitted him to complete his college degree before going to Aberdeen Proving Grounds. At Aberdeen, Edwin Hubble assigned Mort to the exterior ballistics division, where his primary task was to photograph projectiles flying through the air. Later, he worked with Dr. Goddard in tracking rockets. Dr. Turner helped survey the White Sands Proving Ground and worked with Dr. Werner von Braun. After leaving the army, Dr. Turner earned an M.S. in Geology and did the field work in Puerto Rico. Before completing his thesis, he accepted a position with the State Geological Survey in San Francisco. After a few years, he accepted a position as the State Geologist of Puerto Rico. In 1959, Dr. Turner joined the National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs as a project officer. He served in many capacities until his retirement in 1985. It was considered desirable for him to have a Ph.D. He studied in the Department of Geology at Kansas and used his Puerto Rico work for part of the thesis. Upon return to NSF, he was in charge of geology and geophysics and recruited many of the important scientists during this time. Dr. Turner discusses the problems of maintaining research projects when the budget is cut. He also discusses some of the ice core storage problems. In the 1960s and 1970s, the research projects tended toward large groups. It became difficult to convince scientists to do projects in Antarctic. The Bureau of Mines was interested in identifying and locating mineral deposits. Dr. Turner observed that bureaucracy increased under the Nixon administration. The Navy resisted the sending of women scientists to Antarctica. The Navy did not want a scientist from the University of Venezuela to go because he was on the wrong side in the Spanish Civil War. Upon Dr. Turner’s retirement from NSF in 1985, he went to the University of Colorado in Boulder. Major Topics 1. Dr. Turner’s educational background. 2. His work for Edwin Hubble at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. 3. He photographed the flights of rockets developed by Dr. Goddard. 4. As an employee of California State Geological Survey he worked on industrial minerals. 5. His position as State Geologist in Puerto Rico. 6. National Science Foundation Office of Antarctic Programs. 7. The pressure to earn a Ph.D. the selection of Kansas, and how his work was handled at NSF are described. 8. The discovery of various fossils in Antarctica supported the continental drift theory. 9. Bureaucracy grew under President Nixon. 10. The transition from Navy to NSF funding is discussed. Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Other/Unknown Material Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica ice core National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs Ohio State University (OSU): Knowledge Bank Antarctic Elliott ENVELOPE(102.867,102.867,-65.867,-65.867) Finn ENVELOPE(12.739,12.739,65.935,65.935) Hess ENVELOPE(-65.133,-65.133,-67.200,-67.200) Hubble ENVELOPE(158.317,158.317,-80.867,-80.867) Cassidy ENVELOPE(160.783,160.783,-77.450,-77.450) Dietz ENVELOPE(-153.167,-153.167,-86.267,-86.267) Colbert ENVELOPE(-70.183,-70.183,-70.650,-70.650) Huffman ENVELOPE(-72.259,-72.259,-75.313,-75.313) Frakes ENVELOPE(-117.700,-117.700,-76.800,-76.800) Von Braun ENVELOPE(169.567,169.567,-71.983,-71.983) Crowell ENVELOPE(-64.074,-64.074,-74.330,-74.330) |