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Personal
View of Jean C. Brown Durst
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I began working
for the Weather Bureau in 1943. My assignments were in Seattle, Washington,
and at Sexton Summit, Oregon. I left in September, 1944, to attend
college. I worked under my maiden name - Jean Brown.
Before working for the Weather Bureau, I was a high
school graduate (physics classes). I learned from a high school teacher
that the Weather Bureau needed new employees. The Weather bureau provided
training in specific observation skills. I was impressed with the
integrity at the Weather Bureau, and was received as an equal. The
morale on station was good. My duties included the assignment to clear
the teletype of hourly reports. Shifts were "round the clock, twelve
hours on - twelve off. We worked forty-eight hours each week. At my
duty station there were three women, one man, total. I do not remember
what the pay was like during that time.
There were no low points in my Weather Bureau career.
Working for the Weather Bureau during World War II was worthwhile
and necessary. Would I do it again? Yes. I loved being a weather observer.
I feel that reliability was one of my major contributions.
