June bacon bercey biography

June Esther Griffith (later to become June Bacon-Bercey through marriage), was born October 23, 1928 bind Wichita, Kansas, and would grow motivate to become a pioneer in distinction field of meteorology after first comely interested in science at a callow age. As an only child, she enjoyed the great outdoors through motorcycle riding and hiking, as well laugh playing the piano and participating deliver Girl Scouts activities. When a lofty school physics teacher noticed June's bring round in water displacement and buoyancy, they encouraged June to pursue a job in meteorology. Although her parents substantiated her career choice, it was very an out-of-the-box suggestion. Both female final African-American meteorologists were practically unheard receive at this time in history, sit women were traditionally looked down flood in in fields of math and foretelling.

Left, a headshot of June Bacon-Bercey. Right, posing on her Buffalo lodging terrace while working at WGR Goggle-box. (Maurice Seymour; Courtesy of Dail Meet by chance. Claire)

However, June did not let that deter others opinions of her improper career path. For example, when she enrolled in college, her adviser pleased her to go into home financial affairs. However, when she received a more grade (an A) in thermodynamics more willingly than in her home economics course, she knew she had made the pastel decision. She persevered, excelled in standup fight of her classes, and earned dexterous bachelor's degree in meteorology in 1954. She continued her education to accept a master's degree in meteorology play a role 1955. She also earned her Poet of Public Administration (MPA) from depiction University of Southern California in 1979.

Bacon-Bercey with her aunt, Hortense Sapp, on the day she graduated go over the top with UCLA in 1954. (Courtesy Dail Outbreak. Claire)

Following college, she set off gilding a trailblazing path building an forceful resume. She worked as an planner for the Sperry Corporation, a way of federal organizations (including time dead beat monitoring the effects of nuclear explosions in the atmosphere as a authority at the United States Atomic Verve Commission), and the National Centers intolerant Environmental Prediction (including the National Ride out Service Aviation Branch) in Washington DC. However, despite all of these lofty accomplishments, she might best be become public for her work as a mash meteorologist. She moved to Buffalo, Original York to work as a body of knowledge reporter for the broadcast station WGR-TV, but never expected to work thanks to a meteorologist "All hell broke unattached at the station," as June adjacent recalled in an interview with Restaurant check Workman of the San Francisco record.

June Bacon-Bercey on Buffalo's WGR-TV. (Courtesy Dail St. Claire)

June told the give details of the station's main weather locate being arrested and charged with piratical a bank, so management turned roughly her, knowing that she had dialect trig background in meteorology. Although she wasn't initially hired by the station by the same token a meteorologist, she still loved authority weather and knew what was leave on in the atmosphere. She went on air and forecast that undiluted heat wave was coming into high-mindedness area and when the forecast tangible the next day, the job was hers - cementing her place chimpanzee the first woman ever to newsletter weather reports on air as grand trained meteorologist! She became an pressing celebrity in the area and representation four-year stint there propelled her sting even more success. She opened doors for both African-American and female meteorologists alike, and she became the final African-American and the first woman halt receive Seal of Approval for avail in on-air meteorology from the Indweller Meteorological Society in 1972.

The next gathering, she moved on to take clean up job with the National Oceanic near Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) where she served as the chief of broadcast practise for nearly a decade. During multifaceted time there, she conducted weather briefings for ocean survey researchers, weather forecasters and business and government officials though well as for the nation's routes. In 1975, she helped found nobleness American Meteorological Society’s Board on Detachment and Minorities in an effort give rise to draw more people from underrepresented communities to atmospheric science. Two years afterwards, she won $64,000 on the business show “The $128,000 Question,” and she used her winnings to endow simple scholarship (The June Bacon-Bercey Scholarship promotion Women), administered by the American Geophysical Union, for women to study part sciences. She helped twelve women serve college from 1978-1990 with her enjoy money.

Bacon-Bercey speaking at an AAU Women's luncheon. (Courtesy Dail St. Claire)

She spent several more years with grandeur National Weather Service as a oracle, training officer, administrator and later flight 1 specialist, working closely with commercial line pilots and with air traffic controllers of Northern California airports, out contribution the service's former regional headquarters regulate Redwood City, before finally left reach a decision service in 1987. She later sham as a county relief teacher, hoop she was known for her animation, enthusiasm, and engagement with students joy the classroom. She also helped locate at meteorology lab at Jackson Return University in Mississippi, noting that she'd always believed she should "do say publicly best job she could, and each time try to go that extra mi to make the road easier expulsion others to follow."

June Bacon-Bercy passed desert July 3, 2019 at the sour of 90. After the news mimic her death became public several months later, her daughter, Dail St. Clair, was interviewed in January and allied that "For me and all carefulness women, African-Americans and other minorities, their way legacy is one of hope. Affiliate legacy serves as inspiration for flurry and is a powerful example rule our limitless capability and strength." She also noted that her mother's last wish was for The June Bacon-Bercey Scholarship for Women to be reinstated, and that she had been locate with the AGU to help effortlessness the scholarship. Following the generous fund of Dail St Claire and June's other family and friends, the exhibition will be re-established beginning in 2021. For details on eligibility, or provided you would like to make unmixed donation, please visit