Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences is a department in the College of Engineering. The roots of space research trace to the founding of two large research laboratories in 1946, the Space Physics Research Laboratory (SPRL) and the High Altitude Laboratory, Meteorological studies within engineering began with the hiring of 1954 with the hiring of Professor Wendell Hewson, by the Civil Engineering Department. Engineering meteorology attracted new faculty and students and began to emphasize areas such as dynamics and instrumentation. The group was moved into Engineering Mechanics in 1961.
In July 1963 the regents approved creation of a Department of Meteorology and Oceanography [Regents proceedings July 1963 p.38] The department's name was changed to Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science October 1972 and to Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences in 1987.
From the guide to the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences (University of Michigan) publications, 1956-2004, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
