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PERSONAL
DEATH OF DR. JAMES H. KIMBALL
Dr. James H. Kimball died at New York, N, Y., on December 21,
1948. He was born in Detroit, Mich?, on February 12, 1874, and entered
the Weather Bureau on September 1, 1896, at Lansing, Mich.
He served at a number of Weather Bureau stations including Arlington,
Va. ; Dubuque, Iowa; Little Rock, Ark. ; Roseau, Dominica, West Lndies;
Washington, D. C. ; Charleston, S. C. ; Modena, Utah; Milwaukee, Wis. ;
Richmond; Va.; and New York, N. Y. Receiving his 13. S. degree from
Michigan State College in 1912, he continued his education while at
Richmond, Va., where he received the degree of M. A., from Richmond
College in 1914, and later, while at New York, the degree of Ph. D.,
from N. Y. U., in 1926. His alma mater conferred the honorary degree
of Sc. D., on him in 1984. It is interesting to note that he was 88 years
of age when he received his bachelorts degree, 40 when he obtained his
rnaster’s degree, and 62 when the dootor’s degree was awarded him.
He waa a fellow of the American Meteorological Society and of the Institute
of Aeronautical Sciences; and la member of the National Institute
of Social Sciences. In recognition of his Aoteworthy service to aviation
and more particularly in connection with pioneer flights across the Atlantic
he WRB awarded the gold plaque of the Ligue Internationale des
Aviateurs; the scrol1,and medal of honor with gold medal of New York
City; the Officer’eJ’s cross of the Order Polonia Restituta; and ww made
a chevalier of the Legion of Honor, and Commander of the Ordcr of the
Crown of Italy. He wasinstructor for flying unit sin 1917-18, and faculty
lecturer on aeronautical meteorology at N. Y. U., from 1936 to 1941.
Of quiet and unmsuming disposition tt Jimmy” as he was known familiarly
by hh friends, gained the respect and confidence of the aeronautical
world by his profound knowledge of ocean flying acquired through study
and experience in the furnishing of weather information for most of the
pioneer trans;Atlantic flights. We will be remembered as a man of
sterlinf5. character, high ideals and loyalty to his science, his friends and
his Bureau.