Galeton Man to be Honored
Henry W. Lush of Galeton, Pa., will receive the prestigious NOAA National Weather Service Thomas Jefferson Award on Sept. 16, 2009, for his 40 years of outstanding service to the nation through the Cooperative Weather Observer Program. Lush is one of five 2009 recipients of the award, presented annually to long-serving volunteer citizen weather observers in the United States.
A ceremony honoring Lush will be held at 11:30 a.m., Sept. 16, at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in State College, Pa., at 328 Innovation Blvd. Suite 330.
“Henry is known as the local historian-scientist. He maintains a small museum in Galeton of historical treasures that span over 100 years, including his grandfather’s original weather records from 1931,” said Bruce Budd, meteorologist-in-charge at the National Weather Service office in State College. “Weather observing is a Lush family tradition that has continued for 79 years.”
The Thomas Jefferson Award, named for the nation’s third president, originated in 1959 when the National Weather Service began recognizing the important role of volunteer citizen weather observers in advancing weather and climate forecasting accuracy and NOAA’s understanding of the earth’s atmosphere. Jefferson, the statesman-scientist, recorded an almost unbroken series of weather observations from 1776 to 1816.
“Climate data is increasingly important to local communities, the nation and the world, and three attributes are most significant to its usefulness – the data should be accurate, consistent and have a long record,” said Paul Knight, Pennsylvania state climatologist. “Long, reliable weather records are increasingly difficult to maintain, making the efforts of people like Henry Lush and his family truly extraordinary.”
Lush said that when he decides to retire from his volunteer post as a Galeton weather observer, the family legacy will continue through his daughter, Alyson.
NOAA is recruiting more volunteer weather observers. The agency trains people and provides all necessary equipment. Find out more by visiting www.nws.noaa.gov/om/coop.
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Visit www.noaa.gov.
A ceremony honoring Lush will be held at 11:30 a.m., Sept. 16, at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in State College, Pa., at 328 Innovation Blvd. Suite 330.
“Henry is known as the local historian-scientist. He maintains a small museum in Galeton of historical treasures that span over 100 years, including his grandfather’s original weather records from 1931,” said Bruce Budd, meteorologist-in-charge at the National Weather Service office in State College. “Weather observing is a Lush family tradition that has continued for 79 years.”
The Thomas Jefferson Award, named for the nation’s third president, originated in 1959 when the National Weather Service began recognizing the important role of volunteer citizen weather observers in advancing weather and climate forecasting accuracy and NOAA’s understanding of the earth’s atmosphere. Jefferson, the statesman-scientist, recorded an almost unbroken series of weather observations from 1776 to 1816.
“Climate data is increasingly important to local communities, the nation and the world, and three attributes are most significant to its usefulness – the data should be accurate, consistent and have a long record,” said Paul Knight, Pennsylvania state climatologist. “Long, reliable weather records are increasingly difficult to maintain, making the efforts of people like Henry Lush and his family truly extraordinary.”
Lush said that when he decides to retire from his volunteer post as a Galeton weather observer, the family legacy will continue through his daughter, Alyson.
NOAA is recruiting more volunteer weather observers. The agency trains people and provides all necessary equipment. Find out more by visiting www.nws.noaa.gov/om/coop.
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Visit www.noaa.gov.
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