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Abstract ADVANCING POLAR WEATHER AND CLIMATE RESEARCH James R. Fleming Since its inception, the Smithsonian Institution has been a leader in advancing science and communicating its wonders. It functioned as a "national center for atmospheric research" in the nineteenth century and served as a model for the founding of the U.S. Weather Bureau. Its archives and collections document Smithsonian support and involvement over the years in the first and second International Polar Years, the founding of the Arctic Institute of North America, the National Academy of Sciences Conference on the Antarctic, and the International Geophysical Year (IGY). This presentation examines science, technology, and public opinion surrounding weather and climate research at both poles from the middle of the nineteenth century through the IGY. It is anchored by the perspectives of four leading and interrelated figures in science and public communication: Joseph Henry, the first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and three heads of research in the national weather service: Cleveland Abbe, William Jackson Humphreys, and Harry Wexler.
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