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Personal
View of Dorothy Gay Sawyer
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I worked for the Weather Bureau from January 3rd, 1944, to January
of 1949 at the Boeing Field Observation Unit, Seattle, Washington.
A friend taking flying lessons at Felts Field in Spokane heard that
the Weather Bureau needed new employees and told me. It sounded like
an interesting job - I had just gotten my pilot's license and was
interested in weather. When I started, I was employed as Dorothy J.
Gay -changed June, 1946, to Dorothy Gay Sawyer (married.) In January,
1949, I left the Weather Bureau because I was expecting my first child.
I was
appointed as SP-3 at S1440 per year.; received an upgrade on June
27, 1948 - SP-1350-6 at $2895.60. I retired at $3351.00.
My previous
educational experience was an associate Degree from Spokane Jr. College,
including three credits CAA Ground School and private pilot's license.
The Weather Bureau provided a six-week course at the Weather Bureau
Office in downtown Seattle.
I was
received well by the Weather Bureau employees. The male forecasters
were not too thrilled with women observers but they were a nice group
to work with. The Bureau was a great place to work at an interesting
job with a nice group of people. The morale on station was good.
The
duties were as follows: Took hourly surface observations without supervision
for a large part of the time and took three and six-hourly synoptic
observations. Also issued special reports when required and special
synoptic observations for transmission. Relayed airway weather reports
to airport traffic control tower and airway traffic control center
by interphone; relayed check observations to switchboard operators
for public dissemination. Entered on station records data obtained
from autographic instruments such as triple register, barograph and
thermograph; made monthly computations of wind data to determine prevailing
wind direction; made monthly compilation of cloud height data. Checked
observations taken by observer on previous shift for accuracy and
adherence to regulations; answered telephone calls pertinent to observations.
Kept teletype weather reports which came in constantly - filed in
proper place for use by forecasters.
I worked
all shifts - days, evenings, nights - eight hours per day - 48 hours
per week until the war ended - then 40 hours.
There
was only one woman forecaster at my duty station in the five years
I was there. {here were all women in the coding unit - women charters
- mostly all observers were women. The low point of my Weather Bureau
career was a plane crash on take-off from the field in December, 1948.
Working
for the Weather Bureau was interesting. There were a variety of duties
- mostly good people to work with - new things to learn constantly.
For those reasons I would choose to work there again.
I feel
that my major contributions included just doing a good job that needed
to be done and enjoying the work.
Interesting
experiences? Sorry, it has been too long ago and too many other lives
since then to remember much from over 40 years ago. I still have one
friend from 1944 that I still- see.
