For the first time, many materials from Walter Orr Roberts' archives are available online. Roberts served as the first director and president of NCAR/UCAR and established the Department of Astrogeophysics at the University of Colorado. Because of his close ties to both NCAR and CU, some of Roberts' archival materials are housed at each institution. Through a partnership over the last year, the NCAR Archives and the University of Colorado Special Collections, Archives, and Preservation Department worked together to make both collections searchable online and launch digital collections that represent the breadth of materials in Roberts' archives. These collections highlight Roberts' work in Climax, Colorado, the establishment of the High Altitude Observatory, partnering with CU, joining NCAR as the first director, along with many details on his scientific work and achievements and the development of a scientific community in Boulder. Follow the links below to explore the archival collections, and stay tuned for a new digital exhibit that unites materials from each collection to tell these important stories.
Walter Orr Roberts Digital Collection - University of Colorado-Boulder
Walter Orr Roberts Digital Collection - NCAR Archives
High Altitude Observatory Digital Collection - NCAR Archives
Photo depicting the observatory dome as it is transported to the observatory site at Climax, including workers involved in the transport. Roberts established the High Altitude Observatory at Climax in 1940. The Climax Molybdenum Company supported the construction of the observatory. Walter Raymond Allen, an employee at Climax Molybdenum Company, took this photograph.
