Patrick McTaggart-Cowan

Patrick McTaggart-Cowan
Name	Patrick McTaggart-Cowan
Birth date	1912-04-13
Birth place	Dundee, Scotland
Death date	1997-11-25
Death place	Toronto, Ontario
Nationality	Canadian
Alma mater	University of British Columbia, McGill University
Occupation	Meteorologist, Administrator, Educator
Known for	Leadership of Meteorological Service of Canada, academic administration

Patrick McTaggart-Cowan Patrick McTaggart-Cowan was a Canadian meteorologist and administrator noted for leadership in national climate services and academic institutions. He served pivotal roles in the Meteorological Service of Canada and Canadian wartime meteorology, later guiding academic and research organizations in British Columbia and Ontario. His career intersected with prominent figures and institutions across Canada, United Kingdom, and international scientific communities.

Early life and education

Born in Dundee, Scotland, McTaggart-Cowan emigrated to Canada where he received early schooling in Winnipeg and Vancouver. He studied physics and meteorology at the University of British Columbia and pursued graduate work at McGill University, where he interacted with faculty from Institute of Oceanography and contemporaries connected to Royal Society of Canada. During his formative years he encountered developments emanating from centers such as Imperial College London and University of Toronto, linking him to evolving networks including Canadian Aeronautical Institute affiliates and trainees involved with National Research Council (Canada) projects.

Meteorological career

McTaggart-Cowan joined the Meteorological Service of Canada and rose through ranks as operational meteorologist and research coordinator, collaborating with branches tied to Department of Transport (Canada) and National Research Council (Canada). He contributed to synoptic forecasting techniques used by stations communicating with World Meteorological Organization networks and coordinated with counterparts from United States Weather Bureau, British Met Office, and Commonwealth meteorological services. His work influenced aviation meteorology involving stakeholders such as Trans-Canada Air Lines and military aviation groups like Royal Canadian Air Force. He engaged with climatologists associated with Environment Canada initiatives and international projects linked to International Civil Aviation Organization standards.

Military and wartime service

During the Second World War he served in meteorological capacities, supporting operations coordinated with Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Air Force, and allied planning staffs including those tied to Norwegian Campaign and Battle of the Atlantic contingencies. McTaggart-Cowan advised commanders and worked alongside officers from units connected to Allied Expeditionary Force logistics, providing forecasts for sorties involving aircraft types used by Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces. His wartime duties connected him to intelligence and forecasting groups that liaised with organizations such as Joint Intelligence Committee and operational planning elements linked to Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force.

Academic and administrative leadership

After the war he transitioned to academic and administrative leadership, holding posts that bridged higher education and public service tied to institutions like University of British Columbia and organizations comparable to Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. He directed programs with links to research councils including the National Research Council (Canada) and worked with provincial authorities in British Columbia and Ontario. McTaggart-Cowan served in executive roles that interfaced with boards and agencies such as Canadian Broadcasting Corporation advisory bodies, provincial ministries, and Canadian members of international consortia like United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization panels. His administrative tenure involved collaboration with presidents and chancellors from universities including McGill University, University of Toronto, and Queen's University.

Honours and recognitions

McTaggart-Cowan received honors from Canadian and international bodies, recognized in circles connected to the Order of Canada and scientific societies such as the Royal Society of Canada, American Meteorological Society, and provincial orders in British Columbia. He was cited by organizations involved with Canadian Science Council activities and received awards aligning with distinctions from Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute and professional associations akin to the Canadian Association of Physicists. His achievements were noted at events attended by representatives from National Research Council (Canada), World Meteorological Organization, and academic delegations from United Kingdom and United States institutions.

Personal life and legacy

McTaggart-Cowan's personal life connected him to communities in Vancouver and Toronto where he maintained links with alumni networks from University of British Columbia and McGill University. His legacy persists in institutions influenced by his administrative reforms and meteorological practices, with successors in Meteorological Service of Canada and academic departments at universities such as University of British Columbia and McGill University citing his contributions. Collections and oral histories pertaining to his work are preserved by archives associated with provincial archives and university special collections, ensuring continued study by researchers from organizations like Royal Society of Canada and international meteorological historians.

Category:Canadian meteorologists Category:1912 births Category:1997 deaths