NOAA Heritage

hand drawn representation of early United States map

NOAA's beginnings, illustrated

From the founding of the Survey of the Coast in 1807 to NOAA's recognition in 1970, NOAA's heritage is rooted in 200 years of science, service, and stewardship.

Stories

A look back with Dr. Louis W. Uccellini

Louis W. Uccellini, former director of the U.S. National Weather Service

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News and Events

Former NOAA scientist honored for pioneering ocean and climate science

A black and white photo shows Joseph Smagorinsky, Kirk Bryan, and Suki Manabe sitting and discussing a paper in 1969.

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Multimedia

Building relationships: Advice from retired meteorologist Paul Trotter

Paul Trotter, retired, was the meteorologist-in-charge of the New Orleans/Baton Rouge Weather Forecasting Office during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

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Oral Histories

A look back with former hurricane specialist Dr. Lixion Avila

Lixion Avila seated at AFOS stations in 1988.

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Until the 1990s, an alidade, or telescope-like instrument, was used along with a plane table to manually map features such as those in this coastal marsh. Sensors on drones now do this work efficiently, cost-effectively and with greater precision.

NOAA Heritage Program

Although NOAA formed in 1970, the agencies that came together at that time are among the oldest in the Federal Government. The Survey of the Coast formed in 1807, the Weather Bureau formed in 1870, and the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries formed in 1871. Much of America's scientific heritage resides in these agencies.

The NOAA Heritage Program’s mission is to preserve NOAA’s heritage. By telling our unique story, we seek to deepen our workforce’s and the public’s understanding of NOAA’s history and instill a sense of pride and value for our mission and services.