292 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1961 



PEOPLE ^ 



Finally, something should be said about the people who came to 

 work on the program during these months and the months to follow. 

 Dr. Hynek had done first things first. Instead of setting up a large 

 and complex organization, he started out by seeing to the design of 

 absolutely essential equipment. He had found people to initiate this 

 work before he employed anyone else except his secretary. 



In the months that followed Dr. Hynek hired people with a sense of 

 adventure, individuals who could think and act for themselves as 

 pioneers on a new scientific frontier. Through hunt and luck, he 

 gathered about him a group of men with talent. These included not 

 only scientists, engineers, and teclinicians, but also some who, though 

 perhaps short on professional background, showed an infectious en- 

 thusiasm and willingness and ability to get things done. 



BUILDING 

 FUNDING 



At the end of June 1956 the original IGY grant ended. Effective 

 July 1 the Smithsonian received a group of new grants, totaling ap- 

 proximately 3 million dollars, to carry the tracking program through 

 to the end of the IGY on December 31, 1958. The budget would later 

 pose some problems. Difficulty stemmed from the fact that money 

 could not readily be transferred from one phase of the program to 

 another according to need, nor was there any contingency fund. 



» Drs. Theodore E. Sterne, Charles A. Whitney, and Luigl G. Jacchia joined the program 

 as physicists of the satellite-tracking program in July 1956. Dr. Don A. Lautman joined 

 the staff in August of the same year as computing analyst, and a month later was ap- 

 pointed a mathematician. Dr. Max Krook was appointed astrophysicist in August 

 1956. Jack Slowey came to Cambridge in September of 1956 as a physicist and was ap- 

 pointed astronomer to the program in 1959. Dr. Karl G. Henize was appointed astron- 

 omer in charge of Baker-Nunn camera stations in September of 1956 and the following 

 year became senior astronomer. James Knight joined the program as an engineer in 

 September of the same year. Aubrey J. Stinnett joined the staff as a technologist in 

 September 1956. Dr. George A. Van Biesbroeek was appointed astronomer in September 

 of the same year and became a consultant In February 1957. Leon Campbell, Jr., joined 

 the Observatory as a consultant in October of 1956, and the next January became super- 

 visor of station operations for Moonwatch. Robert E. Brlggs was appointed mathema- 

 tician in October of 1956. Dr. Gerhard F. Schilling came to the Observatory as a con- 

 sultant in December 1956, a month later was appointed atmospheric physicist, and In 

 1958 became a specialist as assistant to the Director. Samuel B. Whidden became a 

 station observer In February of 1957 ; in May of 1959 he was appointed station coordi- 

 nator for Moonwatch. Stefan Sydor joined the program in May 1957 as a consultant 

 and a few weeks later was appointed optical advisor. Kenneth H. Drummond became a 

 consultant In May of 1957, administrative officer in September of that year, and executive 

 officer in December. E. Stuart Fergusson came to Cambridge in the summer of 1957 as a 

 consultant ; In September he became executive officer of the satellite-tracking program. 

 Charles M. Peterson joined the staflf as communications specialist in August 1957 ; the 

 next summer he was appointed chief of communications. Dr. John White joined the 

 Observatory as a senior observer in September 1957, but served as a public information 

 specialist after October 4 of that year. 



